Science Quickly How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick
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Jan 5, 2026 
Katy Milkman, a behavioral economist renowned for her work on habit formation and the 'fresh start effect,' shares insightful strategies for sticking to New Year's resolutions. She explains how temporal milestones like New Year’s can boost motivation. Katy discusses the importance of enjoyment in habit formation and offers tips on planning for disruptions. She also highlights the effectiveness of commitment devices and encourages setting measurable goals, reinforcing the idea that flexibility and grace are crucial for lasting change.
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Life As Chapters Sparks Renewed Motivation
- People view life as chapters with breaks that create feelings of new beginnings.
- Those chapter breaks make us feel disconnected from our past selves and open to change.
Small Calendar Moments Matter
- Miniature fresh starts like Mondays and birthdays boost motivation similar to New Year's.
- These smaller temporal milestones increase goal pursuit across gym visits, searches, and online goal-setting.
Baseball Trades Reveal Fresh Start Risks
- Major league baseball trades show fresh starts can help or hurt performance depending on prior records.
- Players with bad season-to-date records improved after a reset while high performers suffered when statistics reset.
