TED TALK
Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days
A few years ago, I felt like I was stuck in a rut, so I decided to follow in the footsteps of the great American
philosopher, Morgan Spurlock, and try something new for 30 (thirty) days.
The idea is actually pretty simple. Think about something you've always wanted to add to your life and
try it for the next 30 (thirty) days. It turns out, 30 (thirty) days is just about the right amount of time to
add a new habit or subtract a habit --like watching the news --from your life. There's a few things I learned
while doing these 30-day challenges.
The first was, instead of the months flying by, forgotten, the time was much more memorable. This was
part of a challenge I did to take a picture everyday for a month. And I remember exactly where I was and
what I was doing that day. I also noticed that as I started to do more and harder 30-day challenges, my
self-confidence grew. I went from desk-dwelling computer nerd to the kind of guy who bikes to work --
for fun. Even last year, I ended up hiking up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I would
never have been that adventurous before I started my 30-day challenges. I also figured out that if you
really want something badly enough, you can do anything for 30 days.
Have you ever wanted to write a novel? Every November, tens of thousands of people try to write their
own 50,0001 word novel from scratch in 30 days. It turns out, all you have to do is write 1,6672 words a
day for a month. So I did. By the way, the secret is not to go to sleep until you've written your words for
the day. You might be sleep-deprived, but you'll finish your novel. Now is my book the next great
American novel? No. I wrote it in a month. It's awful. But for the rest of my life, if I meet john Hodgman
at a TED party, I don't have to say, "I'm a computer scientist. "No, no, if I want to I can say, "I'm a
novelist. (Audience laughter)
So here's one last thing I'd like to mention.
I learned that when I made small, sustainable changes, things I could keep doing they were more likely
to stick. There's nothing wrong with big, crazy challenges. In fact, they're a ton of fun. But they're less
likely to stick. When I gave up sugar for 30 (thirty) days, day 31 (thirty-one) looked like this. (Audience
laughter)
So here's my question to you: What are you waiting for? I guarantee you the next 30 (thirty) days are
going to pass whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to
try and give it a shot for the next 30 (thirty) days. Thanks.
(Audience Applause)
Discussion Questions:
What did Matt Cutts do when he felt bored with his life?
What did he learn from doing 30-day challenges?
What is something new you want to try for 30 days? Why?
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fifty thousand
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one thousand six hundred sixty-seven.
