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Today’s Edition of Captivated: The Fresh Start Effect & Temporal Landmarks: Why New Year’s Feels Like A Reset
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“Okay, THIS is MY year” ... “New Year, New Me.”
If you’re feeling that mix of quiet pressure, reflection, and a tiny spark of hope as the new year rolls in, you’re not alone.
Your brain loves turning dates into chapters, so the New Year starts to feel less like a random Thursday and more like a line between who you were and who you’re trying to be next.
Every ad, reflection post, and “word of the year” trend just turns up the volume on that feeling, so it makes sense if part of you wants to reset everything at once and another part just wants a nap.
This is where two big brain science concepts come in: Temporal Landmarks and the Fresh Start Effect…
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📈 FUN FACT: DID YOU KNOW?
In a study on the Fresh Start Effect, people were about 3.5× more likely to choose a date to start their goal when it was framed as a “new beginning” (e.g. first day of spring) instead of just a regular Thursday.
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.. Brain Science-Backed: The Psychology Behind It ..
Tiny Brainy Cheat Sheet: You can think about:
Temporal Landmarks = the “chapter break” moments (e.g. the new year, the 1st day of spring, Mondays)
Fresh Start Effect = what the brain does with that chapter break (e.g. motivation spike)
🧠 Temporal Landmarks: How Your Brain Marks New Chapters
Temporal landmarks are dates that feel like a clean line in the sand: New Year’s Day, birthdays, first day of school, first of the month, even “after this trip.”
Your brain uses them like chapter breaks in a book:
On one side is “old me,” with all the messy attempts and half-finished habits.
On the other side is “new chapter me,” who gets to try again.
These landmarks act like mental folders.
The brain naturally groups memories and behaviors around them, which creates a sense of “before” and “after.”
That separation makes it easier to leave certain patterns in the old folder and imagine small upgrades for the version of you that belongs to the new one.
🧠 The Fresh Start Effect: Why Motivation Spikes Around Day One
The Fresh Start Effect is the motivation bump we feel when a new chapter begins. When a fresh period starts, we’re more likely to say things like:
“This is the year I actually stick to this.”
“Starting Monday, I’m doing this differently.”
“I’ll start my diet on January 1st.”
These moments give you psychological distance from your past behavior.
The “old you” who skipped workouts or abandoned projects feels slightly separate from “this new version” you are stepping into.
That distance reduces some of the shame and noise around past attempts and makes change feel more possible.
Underneath the feeling, the brain is quietly updating your self-story.
Temporal landmarks nudge you to zoom out, compare who you are with who you want to be, and notice the gap.
The Fresh Start Effect turns that gap into fuel, so the goal starts to feel like a promise to your future self. And present you is suddenly more willing to show up so future you doesn’t have to start from zero.
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Here’s a couple of simple, easy ways to tap into this ‘new year, new slate’ energy people will be feeling in early January.
1. MARK THE MOMENT OUT LOUD.
Call out the “new chapter” directly so the brain knows this is a reset point. Use language that feels like you’re circling the date with a highlighter:
“If you’re treating this [week/month] as your reset, start here.”
“Use this while the year is still quiet and you have a little space.”
“Think of this as your first tiny move for your 2026 goals.”
When you name the moment, you turn a random day into a landmark. That simple shift makes any action taken inside it feel more meaningful and more worth following through on.
2. TIE ACTIONS TO THE NEXT CHAPTER.
Make the behavior feel like part of who they’re becoming in the new year.
“If this is your year to take your [health / money / business] seriously, this is step one.”
“Think of this as your starter ritual for 2026 you.”
You are then selling a small identity shift while they’re already on that journey.
3. KEEP THE FIRST STEP TINY.
Fresh Start energy is high, but people are still tired. So make your “Day 1” or “Week 1” ask very small:
one setup question
one micro-habit
one simple choice
The easier it is to start inside the landmark moment, the more likely they are to keep going once normal life speeds back up.
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Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.
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.. tl;dr & captivated wrap-up ..
New Year’s feels powerful because the brain treats it like a chapter break, a temporal landmark that cleanly separates “before” from “after.”
The Fresh Start Effect rides on top of that, giving people a short window where change feels more possible, identity feels flexible, and motivation runs a little hotter than usual.
To tap into this, call out the moment, connect your product or content to the new chapter they care about, and make the very first step sooo tiny it’s almost impossible to skip.
You’re giving people an easy on-ramp into the version of themselves they’re already hoping to be.
Cheers to 2025, and here’s to 2026! Thank you so much for being such a valued member of the Captivated community this year. Wishing you a Happy New Year! 🥂
👋 Until next year,
Profit Nic
.