Ted Talk 學英文 | 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 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! 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. 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.”

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. 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.

單字用法：

1. Rut — feeling stuck in a routine or pattern.

意指陷入一成不變的固定模式或狀態，通常形容感覺困境或無法突破。

2. Philosopher — a person who seeks wisdom or knowledge through contemplation and rational inquiry.

指尋求智慧或知識的人，透過深思熟慮和理性探究來探索真理。

3. Add — include or introduce something new.

意指增添或引入新的事物或活動。

Subtract — remove or take away something.

意指移除或削減某事物或行為。

Memorable — easily remembered or worth remembering.

形容容易記住或值得紀念的。

Adventurous —willing to take risks or try new things.

形容願意冒險嘗試新事物的。

Sustainable — able to be maintained or continued over time.

形容能夠持續維持或持久的。

Stick — to remain or adhere to something.

指堅持或遵循某事物。

Guarantee — a promise or assurance that something will happen.

指保證或確保某事會發生。

Shot — to attempt or try something.

指嘗試或企圖某事。

片語用法：

1. Follow in the footsteps of — to emulate or imitate someone’s actions or behaviors.

意指效仿或模仿某人的行為或做法。

2. Fly by — 意指時間快速流逝或不經意地過去。

to pass quickly or unnoticed.

3. Take a picture — to photograph something.

指拍攝照片。

4. Go from…to… — to transition or change from one state or condition to another.

意指從一種狀態或情況轉變到另一種。

5. Give it a shot — to try or attempt something.

意指嘗試或企圖某事。