By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

About 40 percent of people in the United States make New Year’s resolutions. Are you one of them? I am. One of my resolutions for this year was to write 12 TAA blog posts. You might ask, “How many have you written so far?” Just one—the one you’re reading now. Between unexpected hardships, work commitments, and starting a graduate program in Happiness Studies, it was difficult to keep up with everything. As someone who loves to follow through my resolutions, I felt disappointed in myself for not staying committed to my goal. If you can relate to my story, you’ll be glad to know you don’t have to wait until New Year’s to renew your resolutions. A fresh start can happen much sooner than that.

Dr. Katy Milkman, a behavioral scientist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has studied the concept of fresh starts (Dai et al., 2014). She wanted to uncover what it is about New Year’s that gives people a sense of fresh start. As writers, I believe her findings are especially relevant, since we are often beginning new projects—whether it’s a book, an academic article, a grant proposal, or a blog post like this one.

What Are Fresh Starts

According to Milkman (2021), the key to experiencing a fresh start lies in our autobiographical memory—the system you use to recall personal experiences and significant life events. She explains that you don’t view your life as a straight line; instead, you see it as a series of “chapter breaks,” much like characters in a novel. These chapter breaks separate how you think about who you were from who you will become, and they occur at predictable moments. For example, a major chapter break might be starting a manuscript, getting a new job, or moving to a new city.

No matter if the chapter breaks in your life are positive or negative, when you bookend them, you feel like you’ve made a major transition. Opening a new chapter gives you a sense of a new beginning and helps you separate from your former self (e.g., before you began writing your book). That was the old you; and you feel this is the new you now, starting fresh at the chapter break.

That’s what happens on New Year’s—you feel as though you’re at a chapter break. You might say to yourself, “That was the old me who didn’t finish the manuscript I planned to write. But this year will be different. I’m going to be optimistic and approach things differently because of this fresh start.” Then, you set aside the old version of yourself and move on to a fresh start.

Why Fresh Starts Can Help

According to Milkman (2021), there are two main reasons why fresh starts are beneficial. First, these break points make you pause and consider your life from a broader perspective. For instance, at the beginning of a semester, you might reflect on what you want the coming months to look like or what you hope to achieve. This shift primes you to consider what changes you want to make and encourages big-picture thinking.

The second reason involves identity (Milkman, 2021). After turning the page on a new chapter, you feel your identity shift—you become a “new you.” This sense of renewal allows you to pin your hopes and intentions to the transition point, saying, “That was the old me. This is the new me.”

How to Create New Fresh Starts

Milkman (2021) points out that chapter breaks happen more often than you may think. There are major ones, like moving to a new city or getting a promotion. But there are also smaller, mini chapter breaks that you can use as fresh starts. For example, “the beginning of a new week, month, year, school semester, as well as immediately following a public holiday, a school break, or a birthday” (Dai et. al., 2014, p. 2564).

To create a fresh start, begin by identifying moments that are meaningful fresh starts to you—those that naturally signal a new beginning. Then, plan to tackle change at that time. Ask yourself: What upcoming fresh starts stand out on your calendar and give you a sense of a new beginning? Personalize these moments to maximize your motivation and make the most of your fresh start (Milkman, 2021).

Remember, a fresh start helps you begin, but it won’t get you to the finish line on its own. To make the most of that fresh start, you’ll need a plan. When creating your plan, be sure to (a) set a concrete goal, (b) decide when, where, and how you’ll achieve it, and (c) make the process enjoyable (Milkman, 2021).

So, if you’ve abandoned a resolution or a writing project you want to revisit, create a fresh start for yourself. Often, the hardest part is simply beginning again.

References

Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60(10), 2563–2582. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901

Milkman, K. L. (2021). How to change: The science of getting from where you are to where you want to be. Portfolio.

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Angelica Ribeiro is a writer, researcher, and professor. She is the author of How to Create Happiness at Work, Running into Happiness, and My Happiness Habit Journal. She holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a focus on English as a second language from Texas A&M University. She has taught English learners and preservice teachers in the United States and Brazil for over 25 years. Angelica has several publications on second language acquisition. She works as a professor in higher education and helps others benefit from her happiness research. When she was a Ph.D. student, Angelica struggled with balancing her academic commitments and personal life, which motivated her to embark on a journey to increase happiness. Her journey was so successful that now she encourages others to create happiness in their busy lives by sharing science-based strategies. Visit https://www.creatinghappiness.today