[Intermediate] Try something new for 30 days

Try something new for 30 days - Matt Cutts

★ (stuck) in a rut 틀에 박힌 생활

too fixed in one particular type of job, activity, method, etc., and needing to change

ex) I need to change jobs - after 15 years here I feel I'm (stuck) in a rut.

 

★ subtract (수, 양을) 빼다

to remove a number from another number

ex) Four subtracted from ten equals six.

 

★ dwell 거주하다, 살다

to live in a particular place

ex) They dwelt in the forest.

 

★ bike (informal) 자전거 타다

to ride a bicycle

ex) She bikes to work every day.

 

★ from scratch 맨 처음부터

from the beginning, without using anything that already exists

ex) Ben built the shed from scratch.

 

★ deprived 부족한, 가난한

not having the things that are necessary for a comfortable or happy life

ex) Nap bars are popular among sleep-deprived workers.

 

★ sustainable 지속 가능한

able to continue without causing damage to the environment

ex) It is time to focus on ensuring sustainable growth.

 

★ give it a shot 한번 해보다

make an attempt or effort to do something

ex) I've never danced waltz before but I'll give it a shot.

 

 

Quizzes

1. A friend? A single soul _________ in two bodies

2. _________ children tend to do less well at school.

3. He had to borrow money and start a company _________.

4. The government should do more to promote _________ agriculture.

 

 

Questions

Q. Do you have something you always wanted to try? 

Q. Have you ever kept doing something for 30 days?

Q. How do you stick to doing something?

 

 

Script

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 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 days. It turns out 30 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 every day 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!

(Laughter)

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 50,000-word novel, from scratch, in 30 days. It turns out, all you have to do is write 1,667 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.

(Laughter)

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."

(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 days, day 31 looked like this.

(Laughter)

So here's my question to you: What are you waiting for? I guarantee you the next 30 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 days.

Thanks.

 

Answers

dwelling / deprvied / from scratch / sustainable