Fresh start effect
Dates that mark a beginning, such as a Monday, a new month or a new year, encourage us to start what we had been putting off.
What problem it addresses
It explains at what moments people are most likely to start a habit or a change.
An example
Gym visits by students at a university were analyzed over several months.
It also rose at the start of the month and the year. Start dates work like a blank page.
Why it happens
Start dates separate a before and an after.
We feel our failures stayed in the previous period.
And they make us look at our lives from a distance, so deciding on a change feels easier.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Suggest starting at a natural beginning: Monday, the new month, a birthday or a new stage of life.
Avoid
Using “new year” pressure to sell what won’t be used.
Don’t fall for it
If you are going to wait until Monday to start, take the first step today.
+82%
What the research says
Rise in Google searches for “diet” at the start of the year. At the start of the month, they rose 3.7% (Dai, Milkman and Riis, 2014).
Solid evidence. These are data on real behavior, not from the lab.
Connections
Authors and works
- 2014
Hengchen Dai, Katherine Milkman and Jason Riis
Named it and measured it with searches, gym visits and personal commitments.
Sources
Original sources
- Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60(10), 2563–2582. View source: Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014)
Last reviewed: