New Year’s Day feels different for a reason. Even before we articulate goals or make plans, there is a subtle shift. The past year begins to feel complete, and the year ahead feels open. Psychology suggests this isn’t just cultural sentimentality—it reflects how the human mind organizes time, identity, and motivation.
Behavioral scientists describe moments like January 1st as temporal landmarks—points in time that stand out and create a psychological break between the past and the future. Researchers Hengchen Dai, Katy Milkman, and Jason Riis found that these landmarks trigger what they call the Fresh Start Effect: people become more motivated to pursue aspirational goals when a meaningful time boundary allows them to mentally separate from prior mistakes, setbacks, or unmet intentions.
January 1st is one of the most powerful temporal landmarks because it is both personal and collective. It doesn’t just mark a new chapter on the calendar—it signals a chance to reassess who we’ve been and who we want to become. Research shows that this psychological distance from the “old self” makes change feel more possible, not because circumstances have suddenly improved, but because our relationship to the past has shifted.
What’s important, though, is understanding what this moment is—and what it isn’t. Temporal landmarks increase initiation of change, not its sustainability. They open a window of motivation, but they don’t keep it open on their own. That’s why so many resolutions fade by February. The opportunity of the New Year isn’t simply to set goals, but to use the clarity of the moment to design change that can endure.
Used well, January 1st is an invitation to step back and think in terms of identity rather than outcomes. Instead of asking only, “What do I want to achieve this year?” the more durable question is, “Who do I want to be in 2026?” Research on temporal landmarks suggests that change is more likely to stick when goals are tied to values and self-concept, rather than abstract performance targets. The clean slate allows us to author a new narrative.
The most constructive way to approach 2026, then, is not with a burst of ambition, but with thoughtful design. Use the psychological separation this moment provides to reflect honestly on what worked, what didn’t, and what mattered more than you expected. The research is clear, temporal landmarks don't change us; they invite us to change.
January 1st is powerful not because it promises a perfect reset, but because it gives us enough distance from the past to see ourselves more clearly. What we do with that clarity is what ultimately determines whether a new year becomes meaningful—or just familiar.
Cheers to you and your Fresh Start.
"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Carl Jung</span>
"Before you can tell your life what you want to do with it, you must listen to your life telling you who you are."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Parker Palmer</span>
