I start on January 1st!
How many times have you promised yourself that?
The new year usually comes loaded with positive vibes and good intentions: diets that will finally help us lose those extra pounds, gym memberships to get in shape, a firm commitment to take the step we’ve been putting off for a long time, and a long list of resolutions with which we hope to reinvent ourselves and, in a certain way, become a new person or, at least, get closer to the person we’d like to be.
However, in the vast majority of cases, all these changes fall by the wayside. Why do we throw in the towel even before the month is over? It’s not because of a lack of willpower – or at least not only because of that.
An overrated date due to the new beginning effect
Why does January 1st obsess us and make us take it as a starting point to change our lives? The explanation lies in our psychological need to make “clean cuts,” that is, to mark a well-differentiated before and after.
In psychology, this tendency is known as the “fresh start effect,” and it reveals our propensity to set goals and implement positive changes after specific time milestones, such as the start of a new week, month, or year. We may also do this after each birthday or other date that is significant to us.
However, January 1 wins. A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania found that the odds of setting a new goal are 62.9% at the start of a week, 23.6% at the start of a new month, and just 2.6% after a birthday. However, the odds double at the start of a new year, reaching a whopping 145.3%.
Why?
New beginnings serve as psychological turning points that allow us to mentally distance ourselves from past failures and setbacks while filling ourselves with positivity to embark on a new path, with renewed determination. In other words, they encourage us to do a kind of mental accountability.
In fact, psychological studies have shown that we tend to think of our past, present and future selves as interconnected entities, but at the same time separate from our identity. This discontinuity in the perception of time helps us to detach ourselves from our past mistakes and imperfections, while projecting a better version of ourselves into the future.
When we feel that a stage is coming to an end, we tend to re-evaluate our priorities, think long-term and set new goals. In fact, the beginning of a new year also alters our perception, putting everyday problems on hold, those that lead us to indefinitely postpone our objectives, to give us a broader vision of life.
These time reference points act as “interrupters” of everyday life so that we can focus our attention on more relevant and meaningful aspects in the long term. This encourages us to set more ambitious goals and plan in greater detail the path we will follow to achieve them.
As a result, it is not unusual for us to suffer from a “New Year’s syndrome,” characterized by:
- Initial euphoria. We get excited imagining an improved version of ourselves, fueled by the symbolism of the new year, as if we could “wipe the slate clean” with extreme ease.
- High motivation, but short-lived. During those first few days, we experience a real “high.” We feel full of energy and enthusiasm, which often pushes us to take the first steps in the right direction. But this energy usually doesn’t last long if we don’t feed it.
- Naive optimism. We underestimate the intrinsic difficulty of change and overestimate our ability to maintain the necessary effort when we return to routine.
- Magical thinking. We develop the irrational belief that a simple change of date has the power to transform deeply ingrained habits, thoughts, or relationships.
- Disconnection from the past. Guided by that initial enthusiasm, we ignore previous patterns of behavior or failures, so we do not learn from the past, which increases the risk of failure.
Change is a process, not a one-time event
The psychological mechanism of new beginnings is often reduced to aspirational behavior. In other words, we are too optimistic and unrealistic. We place great hopes on a date, ignoring that real change does not depend on the calendar, but on our perseverance.
The truth is, if you’ve been putting off quitting smoking, going to the gym, or ending a toxic relationship for a while, there are probably many underlying factors that are keeping things the same, whether it’s a busy schedule, habits that are hard to break, or a very close emotional bond.
Surveys show that about 80% of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions on January 19. It has also been found that motivation peaks the next day and gradually declines from then on.
When we constantly set New Year’s goals – and constantly let them fall by the wayside – we can end up frustrated and unmotivated. We’re likely to feel guilty and stressed, which lowers our perception of self-efficacy and self-confidence.
Real change doesn’t happen because we pick a date on the calendar. It happens when we identify the patterns of thinking and behaving that have been holding us back and consciously decide to come up with a viable plan to change them.
Research shows that we are more likely to achieve our goals when:
- We draw up a viable plan, divided into small actions.
- The goals we set make us happy and make sense to us.
If your goal is to “be healthier,” you don’t need to wait until Monday or January 1st: you can start today. If you put it off, you may first have to overcome some psychological resistance, which will still be present on January 1st and will cause you to fail in your endeavor.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the boost that the fresh start effect offers, but make sure you don’t develop New Year’s syndrome. Therefore, set realistic goals that are meaningful to you and think about how you will achieve them. Make a detailed and realistic plan. This way, you’ll have a better chance of success.
Remember that January 1st is just another day. Real change begins when you decide to act.
References:
Rozen, M. (2023) How Committed Are You to Your New Year Goals?: A Quantitative Study on the Connection of Commitment and Performance with New Year Resolutions. Open Journal of Social Sciences; 11: 415-428.
Oscarsson, M. et. Al. (2020) A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLoS One; 15(12): e0234097.
Hengchen D. et. Al. (2014) The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior. Management Science; 60(10), 2563–2582.
Rajagopal, P. & Rha, J. Y. (2009) The mental accounting of time. J. Econom. Psych; 30(5): 772–781.
Kivetz, Y. & Tyler, T. R. (2007) Tomorrow I’ll be me: The effect of time perspective on the activation of idealistic versus pragmatic selves. Organ. Behav. Human Decision Process; 102(2): 193–211.
Kurbat, M. A. et. Al. (1998) A year’s memories: The calendar effect in autobiographical recall. M&C; 26(3): 532–552.
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