November 9th, 2023
By Nuha Naseer
You’ve probably heard of the saying ‘new year new me’, or ‘same book, new chapter’. Why is it that we aspire to be the best version of ourselves when the passage of time is stamped with a fresh start?
New beginnings are inherently accompanied by time stamps or milestones that hold the power to shape our perception, mindset, and behaviour, somehow on a universal level materializing a sense of motivation. Research into this phenomenon explores the psychological significance of new beginnings on people’s decision-making and the production of aspirational behaviour.
An investigation into ‘The Fresh Start Effect’ was conducted by Dai et al (2014) through three field studies:
1. The first study measured public interest in dieting at different times, seeing as losing weight is typically an important goal for most. By quantifying and analyzing internet searches for the term ‘diet’, they discovered that searches are more frequent at the start of calendar markers, including every week, month, and year, decreasing in volume with the passage of time.
2. The second study measured undergraduate gym attendance. Once again, being physically fit is a popular goal. In addition to calendar markers, study two exhibits the effect of birthdays on behaviour. After analyzing daily gym attendance at a university gym, they found that attendance was highest at the start of the semester and other calendar markers, as well as following birthdays.
3. The final study examined commitment contracts to see the effects of time on goal-pursuing behaviour. They obtained data from a website that aids the achievement of personal goals through such contracts and found that they were created more frequently at the start of the week than towards the end, at the start of the month, year and following birthdays.
With all the studies obtaining similar findings, they underscore the vital role played by what has been coined as ‘temporal landmarks’. Temporal landmarks come in calendar markers, birthdays, holidays, or even major life transitions. They instigate a sense of discontinuity in how we perceive time, encouraging goal-driven cognition and aspirational behaviour as we view the future as a blank canvas. This can be attested to the psychological distinction created between the past, present, and future self.
Implications of this study suggest that one can take advantage of the transformative potential that temporal markers hold as turning points in our lives. They trigger a view of the ‘bigger picture’, that ultimately focuses our attention on goals and self-improvement. However, the study also notes that accompanying the passage of time is a diminishing engagement in aspirational behaviour, highlighting the value of intrinsic motivation in the pursuit of the best version of ourselves.
Source:
Hengchen Dai, Katherine L. Milkman, Jason Riis (2014) The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior. Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901
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