Everyone loves to do fun, month-long exercises to explore just who they are and challenge themselves to see if they can really stick with something. Can I possibly bike for 30 days straight, even if some days it’s just around my block? What will I set the montage to? Coldplay? Can I follow a blog’s mandated daily challenges in pursuit of a bland moral objective? Will I really, truly drink 8 glasses of water today?

These challenges test your tenacity, and allow you to see what you would be like if you were a competent person who did not spend your whole life starving your body of 8 hours of sleep and failing at writing the novel that we all know has always been inside of you. I personally live every day of my life like it’s a 30 day challenge.

But to truly explore your potential, you have to skip a day. Fall off the wagon. See the blog tweeting “#30daysof____ Do [thing you’re like “meh” about].” Think about it all day and never get around to it. Go to the apple orchard with your family and spend the whole night drinking and giving bad advice on Gchat.

Then, the next day wake up and wonder if you still want to do the challenge. Did you lose your momentum for good? Of course not. You’re way better than that. You are average, and that is all you need to be to follow an abstract ritual for betterment.

–Becky Lang