Half Page View the TED Talk Try Something New for 30 Days ✓ Solved

Half Page View the TED Talk “Try Something New for 30 Days†Links to an external site. (TED, 2011) by Matt Cutts. Respond to the following questions: What are your impressions of his talk? How did Cutts aim to persuade his audience? What was especially effective about his speech? Do you relate?

Be sure to respond to at least 2 others as well. As a reminder, always connect to a scholarly source. As a note, integrating a scholarly source for this post should go beyond mentioning the TED Talk. Aim for full credit and connect to a scholarly source beyond the TED Talk to show how the discussion ties to your studies in the course. Incorporate strategies found in the unit presentations, the textbook, or other professional academic resources.

Remember to cite sources appropriately. Reference TED. (2011). Try something new for 30 days.

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Matt Cutts’ TED Talk, Try Something New for 30 Days (TED, 2011), offers a compelling and motivational framework for exploring personal growth through incremental habit-building. Cutts presents the idea that individuals can meaningfully shift their mindset, productivity, and identity by experimenting with new behaviors for a manageable time frame. His approach avoids overwhelming long-term commitments and instead emphasizes accessible behavioral changes grounded in short, intentional challenges. My impression of his talk is that it is both highly relatable and refreshing—Cutts avoids the technical jargon of self-help discourse and instead communicates through simple storytelling, humor, and personal examples. This aligns with communication research suggesting that narrative-based persuasion, rather than purely informational appeals, increases audience engagement and long-term retention of material (Green & Brock, 2000).

One of the most persuasive elements of Cutts’ talk is the way he frames self-improvement as an experiment, not a rigid obligation. He uses ethos by speaking from personal experience, logos through practical reasoning about time-bound tasks, and pathos through lighthearted humor, which collectively reinforce classical rhetorical strategies described in communication theory (Aristotle, trans. 2018). His delivery is concise yet vivid, enabling his message to resonate with diverse learners. For instance, when he describes completing challenges like taking a photograph each day or writing a novel in 30 days, he effectively demonstrates how small commitments can lead to substantial identity shifts. Scholars in behavioral psychology have long emphasized that self-efficacy—the belief in one’s capability to succeed—is strengthened when tasks are broken into small, achievable steps (Bandura, 1997). Cutts’ experiences confirm this widely supported concept.

Cutts’ persuasive strategy also aligns with the principles of habit formation presented in recent research. For example, Lally et al. (2010) found that habits are more likely to form when initiated through low-pressure, repetitive daily behaviors, a framework mirrored in Cutts’ 30‑day challenge structure. By presenting change as temporary and experimental, he reduces psychological resistance associated with long-term commitments. His message resonates with the cognitive-behavioral model that emphasizes structured, time-bound activities to reshape perceptions, motivation, and behavior (Beck, 2011). Overall, the brevity and approachability of his delivery make his persuasion especially effective.

I personally relate to Cutts’ message because it emphasizes the power of consistency and intentionality—two components that resonate with academic and professional productivity literature. In my own life, I have observed that a 30‑day approach helps maintain focus, reduces procrastination, and encourages a mindset of curiosity rather than fear of failure. This aligns with Duhigg’s (2012) “habit loop” framework, which explains how individuals can systematically build new routines by introducing small, manageable behavioral cues. The incremental nature of Cutts’ model also connects with goal-setting research demonstrating that short-term, specific, and measurable goals significantly improve motivation and long-term achievement (Locke & Latham, 2019).

What makes Cutts’ speech particularly meaningful is its application to communication, identity development, and personal reflection. By sharing experiences of stepping outside his comfort zone, Cutts highlights how repeated small challenges build confidence. This reflects Mezirow’s (1997) transformative learning theory, which posits that individuals grow when they encounter challenges that prompt critical self-reflection. When Cutts describes how his life felt more meaningful and memorable after completing 30-day challenges, he implicitly affirms research suggesting that novelty increases cognitive stimulation, emotional engagement, and autobiographical memory richness (Kensinger, 2009).

Additionally, Cutts’ message intersects with resilience theory. Richardson (2002) explains that resilience grows when individuals voluntarily engage with moderate stressors that expand their coping capacity. By choosing a challenge, completing it, and building confidence, individuals cultivate adaptive resilience. Cutts demonstrates this by describing how tasks that once seemed overwhelming—such as writing a novel—became manageable through structured daily commitment. His narrative also mirrors research on micro-goal interventions, which shows that focusing on small successes improves overall psychological well-being and goal persistence (Fritz & Sonnentag, 2009).

Beyond psychological frameworks, Cutts’ message connects to the broader communication themes studied in leadership and interpersonal engagement courses. Effective communicators model behaviors they advocate, and Cutts demonstrates authenticity and transparency by sharing both successes and failures. According to the Social Cognitive Theory of communication, audiences are more likely to imitate behaviors modeled by relatable, credible sources (Bandura, 2001). Cutts’ humility and simplicity position him as an accessible role model rather than an authoritative expert. This helps the audience imagine themselves attempting new challenges, which strengthens behavioral intention—an essential component of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991).

The talk also highlights how communication skills can be enhanced through intentional practice. Cutts’ confidence in public speaking, time management, and self-expression reflects the benefits of experiential learning. Students in communication courses can adopt the 30‑day model to practice active listening, assertiveness, writing, or presentation strategies. Kolb’s (2015) experiential learning theory emphasizes that learning occurs through cycles of action and reflection, which aligns directly with Cutts’ philosophy of trying, observing, adjusting, and repeating.

Ultimately, Cutts’ TED Talk encourages audiences to challenge habitual patterns and embrace low‑risk experimentation. His arguments are supported by extensive psychological, behavioral, and communication research, reinforcing the merits of incremental change. Cutts persuades through sincerity, humor, and relatable storytelling, demonstrating that personal transformation does not require dramatic overhauls but consistent, meaningful effort. Listeners can integrate his challenge model into academic, personal, and professional domains to build confidence, increase productivity, enhance well‑being, and develop a sense of accomplishment. The talk serves as a reminder that growth often begins with curiosity and the willingness to try—even for just 30 days.

References

  1. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
  2. Aristotle. (2018). Rhetoric (W. Rhys Roberts, Trans.). Dover Publications.
  3. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman.
  4. Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26.
  5. Beck, J. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. Guilford Press.
  6. Duhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit. Random House.
  7. Fritz, C., & Sonnentag, S. (2009). Recovery, well‑being, and performance‑related outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(4), 977–990.
  8. Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701–721.
  9. Kensinger, E. A. (2009). Remembering the details. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(4), 217–222.
  10. Lally, P., et al. (2010). How are habits formed? European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009.
  11. Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2019). Goal setting theory: The current state. Routledge.
  12. Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 74, 5–12.
  13. Richardson, G. (2002). The metatheory of resilience. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(3), 307–321.
  14. TED. (2011). Try something new for 30 days. TED Talks.