After having successfully completed two 30 day trials (and currently successfully completing a third), I acquired some interesting insights into what makes these trials successful. (My journal on the forum is available here:
My 30 Day Trials)
The most important thing to note is that my two completed 30 day trials represent the only objective data I have for my own personal development. By 'objective data' I mean that the changes are such that I could point to them to a third party and he would not disagree that they are real. I have been reading about personal development for over a year (around 16 months) and had tried various things before this. Some changes have accompanied this, but they are mainly attitudinal and so hardly objective.
To those of you haven't read it, I would thoroughly endorse Scott Young's e-book, How to Change a Habit. I had been aware of 30 day trials long before I read Scott's book (which focuses on 30 DTs), but it was this book that galvanised me to apply them. It provides a highly detailed and clear treatment of habit change. Apart from that, Scott's, Steve Pavlina's, and Leo Babauta's articles on the topic are all excellent.
The following things helped me:
Contract-Like Statement
It's important that you have a clear statement of your 30 day trial printed out in a large font that is in a goal binder or placed on your wall. Make it look contractual. Mine is printed out in landscape and the page has a thick border. I also have a 3 x 10 table below the statement of my intention, so I can update my progress and make immediate reference to it.
Failure means Failure
If you fail on day 30, you have to start the 30 day trial over on day 1. This seems like a pain, but it's important. By allowing yourself to ignore missed days, you will only create weak habits. You will also have a weakened sense of empowerment due to doubts about the strength of your commitment. There is an exception to this rule and that is where you fail on day 31 or after. To my mind, this doesn't require restarting the whole trial unless you fail a couple of times which are reasonably close together (e.g. failing on day 60 and day 1000 wouldn't be significant).
No Exceptions
It is important that you make NO EXCEPTIONS to your thirty day trial. If you say that you will exercise at least 30 minutes for thirty days between such-and-such dates, then you must do this. Exercising for 29 minutes does not satisfy the trial and you would, therefore, fail it. I go to extra lengths to ensure that I fulfil the conditions laid out in the trial. If want to ensure that I exercise at least 30 minutes, I'll be extra sure that I remember the starting time, so that I can be sure I passed the test. If I have forgotten the precise start time then I will err on the safe side and exercise another 5 - 10 minutes.
Why is this so important? Afterall, is the habit going to be less well ingrained if on one of the days you exercise for 29 minutes and 59 seconds? Yes, it is. This is because you will
feel as though you have cheated. It's of the utmost importance that there is
no ambiguity that if you are on day 30 of the trial, then you have completed the past 29 days perfectly. This is where a lot of the personal satisfaction comes from: you know you set an intention and stuck to it perfectly.
It's perfectly congruent with this to have flexible 30 day trials. You may, for example, set a 30 day trial of exercising at least 30 minutes per day. But, underneath add the suggestion that you exercise first thing in the morning. As a suggestion, you won't fail the trial if you don't do this. If, on the other hand, you want to make exercising first thing in the morning essential to successfully completing your trial then be clear about this in your contract to yourself.
Divisions and Progressive Rewards
Part of the reason 30 day trials work is that the habit changes they involve seem less onerous to the mind than, say, a new year's resolution, where one, in effect, resolves to make a particular change for life. The mind doesn't like this, it seems like too much work, and so gives up. The end of a 30 day trial, however, is always in sight. Yet, even 30 days can seem like too much. I've found it helpful to write above certain points of the table of my personal contract that I will receive a specific reward if I manage to pass it.
When you do this you will find that you only focus on the period up until the reward. This makes the trial seem even easier to the mind. When coupled with the anticipated pleasure of the reward, the period up until the reward is even easier.
It's important to clarify that breaking up the 30 day trial through rewards doesn't mean that if you receive a reward for perfect completion up until day 5, failure on day 6 means you start the trial again from day 5. No: you have to start the trial over.
List of Habits
This is one of my most important motivators. Keep a list of all the habits you may like to do through 30 day trials. I have a very long list of habits. Some of these I will definitely take up; others just sound like fun. Each of them interest and excite me, however. This list will provide you with an important source of motivation. Look, if you don't hurry up and perfectly complete a 30 day trial, you're never going to be able to move on to the next one. Focus and do it and then you can work through your list. At 1-2 trials a month (and an application of the 80-20 rule) you can habituate the 20% most important habits on your list and get 80% of the benefits of your list in a year. How cool is that?
Planning
There are two basic kinds of planning that you need to do with 30 day trials. You need to plan when you set your 30 day trial and you need to plan on a day-to-day basis. The planning when you set the trial involves ensuring that there are no significant obstacles in your calendar (or not yet included in your calendar) that could prevent your competing your 30 day trial. If there are, you need to think about how practicable it will be to avoid the obstacle or make your 30 day trial easier so that the obstacle disappears. In terms of day-to-day planning, even with some careful thought at the outset obstacles will crop up the following day. From my experience, the obstacles are often appointments or commitments that mean you're strapped for time. You then need to work out how to fit your trials in. Usually, this means starting early, working late, or both. Obviously, if you decide to leave it until the last thing there is less room for error. So, I would recommend starting early. If it means you're tired for the day, so what? You are one step closer to finishing a 30 day trial (and you can get excited about working down your trial list).
Feelings of laziness are the greatest opportunities
They really are. I'm using 'feelings of laziness' to mean any doubt or fear or lack of desire to completing your 30 day trial on a given day. These do crop up. On day 27 of my exercise trial (after things going very smoothly), I felt a very strong 'I can't be bothered - to hell with this'. The fact is, however, these thoughts ought to be seen as the greatest gifts because they can be turned into very satisfying experiences. I felt this today and, yes, lingered for a while. But, looked again at my contract. Reminded myself of how far I'd come. And, thought, this is a real opportunity to grow by fighting this lack of desire. By the time I got my gym clothes on I was pacing down to the gym feeling very excited. It was a great workout.
So that about sums it up. Good luck.