THE FRESH START EFFECT
Happy Solstice week friends! We’re almost to the darkest part of the year, so by this time next week we’ll be on our way to Spring! Crazy to think of it like that, right?
Soon we’ll also be entering a new year. A fresh start. In fact, there is science around why the New Year seems like such a new start.
Researchers call this the Fresh Start Effect: people are better at tackling their goals when they start on so-called temporal landmarks.
This includes the start of a new week, a new month, a new year, etc.
Fresh starts get me super excited! It’s like goal reset time. Whether you crushed your last year’s goal or crumbled after just a few weeks…now you have a fresh start.
So this week I wanted to share a little more about the rabbit hole of goal setting that I started going down last week.
Do you know why some goals are more challenging to attain than others?
It’s all about the motivation behind the goal. In other words…WHY are you creating the goal?
Goals/Resolutions that are most challenging to meet are:
- Goals set just because you think that’s what you should be doing or because it’s the logical step.
Example: getting a promotion or taking the next step in your career.
- Goals set because you admire someone else that has achieved it.
Remember, you can be happy for others accomplishments without wanting to do the same thing.
Do you really want their path or do you just want the happiness they seem to have?
- Goals set because you want to make money.
Do you really want the responsibility of the promotion or just the paycheck?
- Goals set because you think it will make others like you more.
Many goals are created because we think it will improve our relationships or how others will view us.
And here's an important question to ask yourself:
Are you truly creating these goals to make yourself and your life BETTER or are they out of vanity, jealousy or expectations?
Truly sit down and ask yourself: WHY is this goal important to ME and how is it going to help me achieve my long term goals (if you have them) BE HONEST.
If this is new to you then yes it will be hard and probably uncomfortable. But it's the first step in making your goals and dreams a reality.
This week I invite you to think about your goals, whether they are 2023 goals or just hopes in general. If any of them are for reasons stated above, spend some time reflecting or journaling about your WHY behind these.
Next week I'll a share a tool that will help you refine these goals in a way that will help you find success and crush them!
Feel free to message me with questions or ideas. I LOVE to talk about this stuff and welcome the chat.