Why we need fresh starts, even if they’re made up

There was a phase where I threw up every New Year, and it was not because of tequila. To make myself feel better. I thought it was my body purging out the old, a literal clearing out of excess waste, so that I could be ready for the new.  

For most of us, the New Year, like semesters or birthdays, is a moment that seems to divide our lives into a symbolic new chapter or a fresh start. It is a celebration of renewal found throughout the world, and the Chinese Zodiac even assigns it a presumed energy for the soul, with 2026 being the year of the Horse: a year for action, momentum, and abundance.  

The fresh start effect is a concept explored by behavioural scientists that explains how temporal landmarks can drive motivation and goal setting

I hope the Horse finds everyone very soon. But can these moments carry true change, or are they just psychological permissions to let go and try again?  

Technically, we can observe two types of ‘chapters’. The first is the start of something tangible, like moving to another country or joining a new set of classes. You’ll be met with new people, places, and influences, meaning there is a tangible marker for change. Then, there are New Year’s and Birthdays: social constructs of time with no real immediate separation between what was before and what is after. Still, they drive a lot of our behavior with this fresh start effect.  

The fresh start effect is a concept explored by behavioural scientists that explains how temporal landmarks can drive motivation and goal setting. There are reasons for this effect blossoming in January, including the shared cultural moment that makes goal-making contagious (it feels easier to aspire when others do it too), the end of an indulgent holiday that disrupted our routine, a return to structure, and a clear starting point to separate from the past self.  

It doesn’t matter whether the subject or time is constructed when the result is real engagement with our human experience

In other words, it is a human practice that can be traced back to over 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon as ‘Akitu’, when people symbolically recreated the world for the coming year, ensuring prosperity and celebrating the triumph of their chief God over chaos.  

There is an argument that it doesn’t matter whether the subject or time is constructed when the result is real engagement with our human experience, and I agree with this. By celebrating a chance for growth, we gain a sense of vibrancy and dimension. Overall, the concept of traditions and celebrations of intangibles that add meaning to existence is a great, optimistic trait to uplift.   

Scientifically, the act of setting and pursuing goals releases dopamine, which we all usually chase artificially, and 86% of survey respondents in the US said that after New Year’s, they believed their resolutions would create a positive impact beyond just the incoming year. There is a clear budding hope with a fresh start, and though only 6% reach the end of the year with their specific goal complete, that indicates nothing about how they spent the year holistically and the direction that a fresh start could have provided them with. Especially in times of stress and uncertainty, the reliance on imagined reset points is a helpline to consider. For students, the pressures of self-improvement or drowning in the opposite are frequent visitors. Like when one missed reading turns into two, taking a moment to draw up a vision of restarting, whether through resolutions or a single breath of calm, is an immense power anyone can and should look to.   

Following a mindset of progressive and embodied change, psychologists encourage the thought of “moving toward” a goal instead of succeeding

However, for some of the other 84% who typically engage with a fresh start by resolutions and expectations, the year is met with disappointing results or an obsessive all-or-nothing mind. Personally, the start of spring, like the Akitu, brings a greater sense of rejuvenation than January. It makes sense if an active routine does not immediately align with ourselves and dreary days.   

Following a mindset of progressive and embodied change, psychologists encourage the thought of ‘moving toward’ a goal instead of succeeding. Make the progress forgiving so that messy consistency beats perfection, especially when perfection can be disguised with procrastination.    

Surprisingly, in my case, 2026 was maybe the first new year where I felt less of a jump to be new, and more of a force to continue. The impression also helps to reconcile the space between where you are now and where you want to be, for when you reach your ‘dream version’, you are not a new person but a changed one.  

And this is again where the detail of a ‘made-up fresh start’ can become so fruitful. Our corny human ability is actually what lets us live fully and have a fresh start anytime. A fresh start can feel like taking a good shower, showing a smile, clearing out phone storage, or buying new boots.   

While fresh starts may be made up, leave out the pressure, and they become emotionally necessary

You really have so much power over your human experience, taking into account that I speak from a privileged place. But it is wonderful to feel that you can take every day as new. It’s not easy, especially if you want to go to Ibiza the next day but you have to pay for your tuition. However, personal habits and perceptions are within your control, not the figment of time. You can give yourself that feeling, that reset point, and freedom from judgement. There is no New Year’s supervisor. So, while fresh starts may be made up, leave out the pressure, and they become emotionally necessary, as maybe one of the few tools we have for reflection, hope, and accountability.

Cheers to the new year and to all your fresh starts, big and small.