# Steve Pavlina 30-Day Trial Method

> Personal development technique borrowed from shareware trials where you commit to a behavior change for exactly 30 days to experiment with and evaluate new habits without permanent commitment, building self-discipline while discovering life improvements through short-term trials.

- **URL:** https://stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/04/30-days-to-success/
- **Category:** Time Management Methodology
- **Tags:** Habits, Personal Development, Experiments, Self Discipline
- **Updated:** 2026-03-18 02:54
- **Canonical page:** https://timetrack.works/tr/items/steve-pavlina-30-day-trial-method

## Details

## Overview

The 30-day trial is a personal growth tool that Steve Pavlina borrowed from the shareware industry, where you can download trial software and try it risk-free for 30 days before buying the full version.

## Purpose and Benefits

A 30-day trial is partly an experiment and partly an exercise in self-discipline—it allows you to see how your life would be different if you made a certain change, while building your self-discipline. The more 30-day trials you successfully complete, the stronger your self-discipline muscle becomes, benefiting you tremendously in all areas of life.

## How to Use the Method

Pavlina recommends that if you're having trouble consistently making it through 30-day trials, you should start with shorter trials like 5, 7, or 10 days. This allows you to build consistency before working up to longer durations.

## Notable Experiments

Pavlina has used 30-day trials extensively throughout his personal development journey:

- In 1993, he tried being vegetarian for 30 days just for the experience after reading about health benefits.
- He used this method to go vegan in 1997, wake up at 5am each morning, exercise regularly, and install various productivity habits.
- He conducted a polyphasic sleep experiment in 2005 that people still ask him about.
- In 2016, he spent 30 days in a row going to Disneyland.

## 30-Day Supertrials

Once you have at least 5-10 successful 30-day trials under your belt, you might consider a "Supertrial" - a more intensive version involving multiple habit changes simultaneously.

## Key Principle

Pavlina calls it one of his favorite personal development techniques, mainly because it's so simple and effective. He especially loves 30-day trials where he'll try something new for 30 days in a row. The method works because it provides a definite end date, making the commitment feel more manageable while still being long enough to see real results.

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