The Fresh Start Effect: Why New Beginnings Motivate Us
Wed Jan 14 2026
What is it about a new beginning that makes us feel more motivated, more hopeful, and more ready to change?Behavioral scientists call it The Fresh Start Effect — the idea that temporal landmarks create psychological separation from our past selves and give us permission to begin again.
In this episode, we explore three fascinating examples: why people are far more likely to run their first marathon at ages ending in nine, why searches for “gym” and “diet” spike everyMonday morning, and why birthdays trigger major goal resets.
The leadership takeaway is powerful: momentum isn’t just about discipline, it’s about timing and framing. Great leaders know how to intentionally create “January moments” throughout the year.
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Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie’s simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:
Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com
The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/
Host Matthew Confer:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/
Matthew’s TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making
Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.
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What is it about a new beginning that makes us feel more motivated, more hopeful, and more ready to change?Behavioral scientists call it The Fresh Start Effect — the idea that temporal landmarks create psychological separation from our past selves and give us permission to begin again. In this episode, we explore three fascinating examples: why people are far more likely to run their first marathon at ages ending in nine, why searches for “gym” and “diet” spike everyMonday morning, and why birthdays trigger major goal resets. The leadership takeaway is powerful: momentum isn’t just about discipline, it’s about timing and framing. Great leaders know how to intentionally create “January moments” throughout the year. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie’s simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Matthew’s TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.