I’m not a fan of Lent. I guess that’s something that should be obvious from the giant scarlet A sitting over on the right side of the page. Because of that, it’s really tempting to just make fun of the idea that poeople should be sacrificing something for the next forty days, since, clearly, I see no practical value in it.

Fortunately, my wife made a Twitter post that really made me reexamine my attitude toward Lent, although not in the way I really expected. So, instead of advocating or celebrating people sacrificing things that they either like or should be giving up anyway, I’m trying to start something new. I’m hoping that it’ll catch on.

For the next 40 days, I’m asking people to pick up a project and wor on it every day. In my case, it’s a FATE game that’s been rolling around in my head for a month or two. Other people on Twitter have expressed interest in writing projects, playing musical instruments, writing code. All sorts of stuff. You could spend the next 40 days volunteering for some organization. Even just cleaning the house.

The point is, don’t celebrate not doing something. Celebrate doing something awesome! And, if you pick a 40 Day Project and finish it, awesome! You haven’t just worked on something; you’ve accomplished it!

So, here are the official rules for the 40 Day Project:

1. Pick a project. Any project is good. Write, play, work out. Doesn’t matter what the project is.
2. Work on that project every day until either Easter or the project is finished, whichever comes first.
3. Post updates on Twitter using the tag #40DayProject, or leave a comment here about how it’s going.

That’s it. Nothing more to it. Don’t make it too complicated, and don’t set any goal beyond working on your project for the next 40 days.

Life is something to be experienced. Don’t waste the next 40 days worrying about how you’ll live without whatever you’ve given up. Instead, spend it doing something makes you happy for 40 days.

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