Not many of us would say we live the perfect life. There’s always something to strive for – whether that’s to better ourselves in some way or to reach a particular goal. And there’s something about a fresh new year or a milestone like a birthday that often makes us want to set goals and resolutions.
There’s good reason for this. We’re actually more likely to feel motivated to do things differently at times like these. Dubbed the fresh start effect, it seems there’s a genuine psychological advantage in setting targets or goals at a meaningful point in time.
The fresh start effect
A 2014 study found that people were more likely to overcome willpower problems and reach for goals at psychologically significant dates. These dates – known as temporal landmarks – can be large or small. Starting a new job, the advent of spring, a crisp school year. Apparently, even the first day of the week or the dawn of a new month can encourage us to put the past behind us and spark change.
And it’s not just for play – the fresh start effect is worth thinking about at work, too. When is it best to kick off that big project or introduce organizational change? Lining up the start time with a particular date can give your project extra momentum.
In your personal life, the turn of the year is a powerful time for reflecting on the old and moving on with the new. Whether you want to become smarter, richer, happier, or healthier, we wish you the very best for 2022.