Why do New Year’s resolutions fail by February? The answer lies in the psychology of fresh starts. In this productivity episode, we explore Katy Milkman’s research on the “Fresh Start Effect” and how psychological clean slates—like Mondays, birthdays, or a new notebook—can reset your identity and boost motivation.

We explore how psychological clean slates—like Mondays, birthdays, or even a new notebook—can reset your identity and boost motivation. However, fresh starts have a hidden downside: they can actually derail high performers. We’ll show you how to strategically time your resets and use environmental changes to unlock new behaviors without losing your hard-earned momentum.

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