History of the Fresh Start Effect: The Science Behind New Beginnings

Happy New Year! Have you ever wondered why so many of us feel extra motivated at the beginning of a New Year? January always gets folks running to the craft store selling out journals and planners like Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches 😆 but have you ever stopped to ask yourself why?

Well, you know your favorite historian has, and in Season 4; Episode 3 of the That Wasn't In My Textbook Podcast, I answered this question for you.

January 1 is recorded as the day businesses like gyms, spas, and yoga studios experience their highest patronage. But did you know there was a term for this phenomenon? It's called The Fresh Start Effect and is defined as a psychological boost we experience when passing temporal landmarks like the start of a New Year.

If you have no clue what a temporal landmark is, I want you to keep reading.

The temporal landmark is based on a study conducted by Katherine Milkman, PhD., Hengchen Dai GRW 15; and Jason Riis, Ph.D. Together, this powerhouse duo of scholars concluded that temporal landmarks (like New Year's Day) create a fresh start effect, giving us the motivation to begin anew.

While January is the month we see the most action, your landmark date could be different, think birthdays, the start of a new week, or the start of the new quarter.

While we love a date on the calendar to get our butts motivated. Still, there is a dark side to this phenomenon. I explain what you need to watch out for during the episode; click here and jump to the [16:08] point to find out what. While you're listening, you may as well subscribe to the podcast, rate it, and leave me a comment. It helps to keep this podcast growing. 

Just in case this juicy history tidbit didn't leave you thirsty to listen to the full episode, let me tell you what else you will learn when you tune in.

1. The fresh start effect to go all gas, no breaks towards your goals

2. How to leverage temporal landmarks to your advantage

3. The dark side of The Fresh Start Effect you MUST avoid if you want your goals to stick.