Why do New Year’s resolutions fail by February? The answer lies in the psychology of fresh starts. In this productivity episode, we explore Katy Milkman’s research on the “Fresh Start Effect” and how psychological clean slates—like Mondays, birthdays, or a new notebook—can reset your identity and boost motivation. We explore how psychological clean slates—like Mondays, birthdays, or even a new notebook—can reset your identity and boost motivation. However, fresh starts have a hidden downside: they can actually derail high performers. We’ll show you how to strategically time your resets and use environmental changes to unlock new behaviors without losing your hard-earned momentum. Sign up for a $1/month trial period at shopify.com/tps. Get 20% off your first order: dripdrop.com and use promo code tps. Visit asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics. Cheat Sheet: Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt. Top 3 Productivity Resources Why certain moments in your life make change *dramatically* easier—and how to spot them [05:18]. When a “fresh start” can actually backfire and slow you down [23:10]. How to engineer your own fresh start—without waiting for January 1st [27:47]. Links: Shopify DripDrop 25X Productivity Coaching How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman Logitech G915 X Lightspeed Keyboard Glocusent Book Light How to Stop Worrying and Start Living — Dale Carnegie Productivity Academy The Productivity Show on Youtube The Productivity Show Youtube Clips Become a member of TPS+ Take the Productivity Quiz If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!