The Fresh Start Effect

The power of the New Years Resolution lies in the hard reset we often get at the beginning of the year. Our culture marks this time of year as one of new beginnings and fresh starts.

It has become fashionable to ridicule resolutions in recent years and write them off as pointless cliches. But like many people, I find a lot of value in reflecting over the holidays and setting some goals for the New Year.

Often, the problem arises when we set inappropriate or unrealistic goals. But assuming that goals are solid and reasonable, the other problem is that we lose motivation and don't have accountability.

This is where the concept of temporal landmarks and the fresh start effect come in.

A temporal landmark is a specific point in time that prompts us to reflect and have a sense of renewal moving forward. New Years Day is certainly a temporal landmark and most of us take advantage of it to motivate us to make resolutions. However, many resolutions peter out because real life sets in and we lose momentum.

Here's the trick: we can set our own temporal landmarks to stay motivated and give ourselves a chance at a fresh start at various times during the year.

You can use anything as a temporal landmark, but it will work best if it is a significant date. The idea is to pick something that won't pass by without you noticing. So don't just arbitrarily pick the first day of the month. Good choices are things like anniversaries, birthdays, other holidays, major life events, etc.

Here's what I recommend:

• Set your New Years resolution (or any other goal)

• Put at least one temporal landmark for each quarter of the year on the calendar

• Use this moment that stands out in time as a reminder to check on your resolution and make a fresh start if needed

This will keep your goals more top of mind and give you a natural reset multiple times throughout the year. Even if you've totally fallen off the wagon with your resolution, this may help you restart.

Maybe you decided you want to meditate every day for the whole year and you realize after one of your temporal landmarks that you haven't meditated in weeks.

Just start again.

Even if you fall off the wagon multiple times, if you leverage the fresh start effect you'll at least have some short stretches of time where you meditate regularly. Instead of abandoning your goal to meditate altogether, you'll get a few weeks of success. Isn't that better?

I wish you well in your goals for the New Year. Good luck!