If you, like many of us, decided to – eat less, exercise more, save more money, etc., beginning on New Year’s day, welcome to the “Fresh Start Effect” .1 It’s a common phenomenon and can be used creatively to effectively form new habits, change lives and boost careers.
Unfortunately, we humans tend to get distracted, deterred, or discouraged when we first fail to follow through on our stated resolution or goal. BUT HERE’S THE HACK – You can use the Fresh Start Effect to your advantage to keep making progress toward your original goal. Missed the gym this week? Overindulged this weekend? Don’t fret – Monday starts a new week, MLK Day is a holiday, February is a new month, Mom’s birthday is January 25th. PICK ANY DATE THAT’S MEANINGFUL TO YOU and use it as the new starting point for achieving your goal!
Science tells us it can take anywhere from 18-264 days to form a new habit.2 It’s not absolutely necessary for them to be consecutive. YOU CAN DO THIS!! Be kind to yourself and if you can, find an accountability partner or community that can give you encouragement and support as you work toward your success!
Need a financial goal accountability partner? Count me in! Contact me to discuss your goal and I'll help you get there.
1Heng Chen Dai, Katherine Milkman, Jason Riis 6/23/2014
2Scott Rothingham, Timothy Legg, PHD 10/24/2019