Why Beeminder?
I vigorously encourage you to use Beeminder for tracking, maintaining, and modifying habits.
Several people have recently asked me to explain why I like this service so much. This page is my evolving answer.
So, why Beeminder?
Design
The core feature of Beeminder is the "bee sting." The service charges you money if you fail to meet a certain rate of progress toward a goal.
For instance, if I declare to Beeminder that I will meditate 5 minutes per day, and I fail to perform meditation at that rate, Beeminder will "derail" me, charge me a small amount of money, and -- after a weeklong grace period -- rearm the sting.