Afewyearsago,IfeltlikeIwasastuckinarut.SoIdecidedtofollowinthefootstepsofthegreatAmericanphilosopherMorganSpurlockandtrysomethingnewfor30days,theideaisactuallyprettysimple.Thinkaboutsomethingyou’vealwayswantedtoaddtoyourlifeandtryitforthenext30days.Itturnsout,30daysisjustabouttherightamounttimetoaddanewhabitorsubtractababit,likewatchingthenewsfromyourlife.There’safewthingsIlearnedwhiledoingthese30-daychallenges.Thefirstwas,insteadofthemonthsflyingby,forgotten,thetimewasmuchmorememorable.ThiswaspartofachallengeIdidtotakeapictureerverydayforamonth.AndIremenberexactlywhereIwasandwhatIwasdoingthatday.IalsonoticedthatasIstartedtodomoreandharder30-daychallenges,myself-confidencegrew.Iwentfromdesk-dwellingcomputernerdtothekindofguywhobikestoworkforfun.Evenlastyear,IendeduphikingMt.kilimanjaro,thehighestmountaininAfrica.IwouldneverhavebeenthatadventurousbeforeIstartedmy30-daychallenges.Ialsofiguredoutthatifyoureallywantsomethingbadlyenough,youcandoanythingsfor30days.Haveyoueverwantedtowriteanovel,EveryNovember,tensofthousandsofpeopletrytowritetheirown50000-wordnovelfromscratchin30days.Itturnsout,allyouhavetodoiswrite1667wordsadayforamonth.SoIdid.Bytheway,thesecretisnottogotosleepuntilyou’vewrittenyourwordsfortheday.Youmightbesleep-deprived,butyou’llfinishyournovel.NowismybookthenextgreatAmericannovel?No,Iwroteitinamonth.It’sawful.But,fortherestofmylife,ifImeetJohnHodgmanataTEDparty,Idon’thavetosay“I’macomputerscientist”,no…no,ifIwantto,Icansay“I’manovelist”.SohereisonelastthingI’dliketomention,IlearnedthatwhenImadeasmall,sustainablechanges,thingsIcankeepdoing,theyaremorelikelytostick.Thereisnothingwrongwithbig,crazychallenges.Infact,they’reatonoffun.Butthey’relesslikelytostick.WhenIgiveupsugarfor30days,day31looklikethis.Sohereismyquestiontoyou:whatareyouwaitingfor,Iguaranteeyouthenext30daysaregoingtopasswhetheryoulikeitornot,sowhynotthinkaboutsomethingyouhavealwayswanttotry,andgiveitashotforthenext30days.