Matt Cutts was a nerdy guy with a desk job. His days and months flew past, each barely different than the rest. Then he decided to challenge himself. For 30 days, he would undertake a new activity, something he's always wanted to try but lacked motivation. Month-long increments in new behavior are just-about-right, Matt explains in this TED talk: not so long as to be a marathon, but long enough to create new habits or shed old ones. "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?" asks Matt.