A Fresh Start.. (2022)
I recently watched a YouTube video by productivity expert Matt D’Avella about how a fresh start changed his life.
Around 80% of people don’t stick to intended habits when they give themselves a ‘fresh start’. These so-called fresh starts often occur around new year, starting a new job, moving city, starting a university semester, or even just a Monday. I would put myself amongst the 80% of people who struggle to upkeep fresh starts. I have always found it difficult to maintain new habits, whether it’s membership of a club or gym, or going out on a daily walk. I don’t think I attach enough value to my habits to make them worthwhile enough for me. It’s either that or I get too excited about everything I could do, and then I get overwhelmed.
In his video, Matt explains that the move to a new city was the kickstart he needed to change his poor nutrition and physical activity, and after a couple of months, he was eating healthier and moving more than ever. This is a perfect example of how a fresh start can be beneficial.
Psychologist and author Katy Milkman explains the fresh start effect in her book How to Change. She is interviewed in Matt’s video (see below), and there was one point in particular that caught my attention. While it may seem obvious, Milkman explains the importance of not giving yourself a fresh start when things are going well. An example of this would be crossing off your calendar every day for a whole month for the one habit you are trying to stick to. A new month starts and you turn the calendar to a new page. A blank slate. A fresh start. Even this simple action can result in a loss of adherence to a habit. Instead, Milkman suggests putting a new month underneath the previous one, to see continuous habit adherence clearly. This makes complete sense to me!
From the start of August, I have set myself the challenge of bullet journaling every day. This is quite meta, because a lot of bullet journaling is about sticking to habits, so I am going to try to make a habit of journaling about my habits. Let’s see if this fresh start helps me in the long run!
