TED Talk

In this lesson, you are going to listen to a TED talk - Try Something New for 30 Days by Matt Cutts.

Let's learn the definitions of some phrases and words from this talk before watching the video.

stuck in a rut: to be too fixed (and possibly bored) in a particular type of job, activity or situation to change to something else.

  • I need to do new things - after so many weeks, I feel I’m stuck in a rut.

to follow in the footsteps of: to do the same thing as someone else did before.

  • I plan to follow in the footsteps of my father and study engineering in college.

fly by: to go by very quickly

  • Time flew by so fast that it was already more than a month since Movement Control Order started.

desk-dwelling: the verb to dwell is to live somewhere, to be desk-dwelling means to be always staying in your desk.

to end-up: to finally be in a particular place or situation.

  • I ended up wasting time playing game for whole day.

to figure out: to understand something/someone or to find the solution to a problem after thinking about it a lot.

  • I figured out who was the werewolf in the first round of the game.

from scratch: from the beginning without using things that already exist.

  • She built her own computer company from scratch.

it turns out: to happen in a particular way or to have a particular result, especially an unexpected one.

  • It turns out that I was right all along.

by the way: this phrase introduces a new subject or is used to give additional information.

to stick: to stay or to remain in place.

  • Our plan is more likely to stick if you don’t tell anyone.

give it a shot: to try something.

  • I have never cooked a meal, but I will give it a shot.

Now, you have learned some phrases and words. Watch the video and fill the missing words.

A few years ago, I felt like I was (1)__________, so I decided to follow in the (2)__________ 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 (3)__________, 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 (4)__________.

The first was, instead of the months (5)__________, forgotten, the time was much more (6)__________. 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 (7)__________grew. I went from (8) __________ computer nerd to the kind of guy who bikes to work -- for fun.

Even last year, I (9)__________hiking up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I would never have been that (10)__________ before I started my 30-day challenges.

I also (11)__________that if you really want something (12)__________ 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 (13)__________ in 30 days. It turns out, all you have to do is write 1,667 words a day for a month. So I did.

(14)__________, 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 (15)__________.

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 (16)__________." No, no, if I want to, I can say, "I'm a (17)__________."

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 (18)__________. 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 (19)__________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 (20)__________ for the next 30 days.

Thanks.

Here is the full transcript

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." (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.