The Psychology of a Fresh Start
Why We Feel Motivated to Reinvent Ourselves
BY ZEEBA KRUSE
aybe for
you it’s
the clock
striking midnight on December 31st that sparks the urge to get your life together. Or maybe it’s the next Monday when you promise to finally start working out. Right now, back-to-school shopping probably gives high school and college students a sudden burst of motivation, which often fades by October. We don’t become different people just because the date changes; our brains simply use these meaningful transitions to separate who we were from who we want to become. Why do we feel compelled to reinvent ourselves with every exciting or abrupt event on the calendar? This leads to a bigger question: why do fresh starts make change seem more achievable?
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