by Ethan Johnson
January 6, 2007

Gawd, I love link-hopping. Sure, it's hit and miss - mostly miss - but when gold is struck: Worth it!

I don't normally read Steve Pavlina's blog, though I apparently have some passing knowledge that it exists. I followed an intriguing link to an old post of his called 30 Days to Success. He writes:

A powerful personal growth tool is the 30-day trial. This is a concept I borrowed from the shareware industry, where you can download a trial version of a piece of software and try it out risk-free for 30 days before you’re required to buy the full version. It’s also a great way to develop new habits, and best of all, it’s brain-dead simple.

What does this mean to you (and me)? Well, I could try being a Vegan for 30 days. Or exercise X minutes a day. Or read [books, magazines, etc] for X amount of time per day. Whatever adds value, basically. But the thing is, if it isn't "all that", well, it was a trial period anyway. If you were trying to learn Cantonese and decided it just wasn't the language for you, then study something else for 30 days. Or extend the trial to 45, 60, or 90 days if you're on the fence.

The idea is to subtly but persistently establish beneficial habits. And the ideas in the comments section of the original post are maddeningly simple. Instead of thinking "cold turkey" about a change, and getting ulcerated at the thought, why not focus on a subset of the greater change and try it out? For example:

Also, while not completely switching to a vegetarian diet, I am going to eat only vegetarian lunches for 30 days also. At some point in the future I may take the plunge and try a full vegetarian diet for another 30 days but this will be a start for now.

Brilliant! I can't imagine not being an omnivore (sorry, Earth), but I can imagine eating a vegetarian (but not Vegan) meal once a day for 30 days. I have been eyeing some vegetarian cookbooks at Half Price Books and this may be the catalyst to get me to try some new veggie recipes.

Reading through the comments on the original post, one thing I'm cringing at is the tendency to cut out some behavior, rather than introduce a new one. Removal creates a void, and something is going to creep in to fill it. Be firm about what that change will entail. That's why (as an example) I like the one veggie meal a day trial. If you're already eating three or more meals a day, what's so Earth-shaking about imposing a specific rule to one of them? Sure beats trying to go hardcore Vegan overnight. But if you find the veggie meal to be the highlight of your day, you know you're on your way down a new path.

Here is another way I can envision implementing the 30-day trial approach right away: Choose a specific exercise for 30 days to start with. Then a different one for another 30 days. And so on, up to changing the rule to "total body workout." If you're not exercising a set number of hours per day/week like me, this gets the ball rolling gradually. I think many people give up on exercise goals because they try to do too much from a standstill. Make the laws of thermodynamics work for you. If you've been at rest, it's going to take time and effort to work up to constant motion. And vice-versa.

I am mulling over a switch to Gentoo Linux. Rather than go bonkers switching outright, I may indeed dual-boot my existing OS and Gentoo and get a feel for what I like/dislike about each one. Linux used to be really daunting to me, and I couldn't imagine not using Windows. Now I tolerate Windows on my work computer. It didn't hurt that I was dual-booting Windows and Ubuntu for a short time before Windows crashed irreparably and forced my hand into switching.

I'll mull over some possibilities and pick one no later than 1/15. I promise that it won't be nerdy like "try Gentoo for 30 days." I'll track my progress publicly, for better or worse. What new thing could you try for 30 days? <EM>