Hey there —
Imagine it’s your birthday (or if today is your birthday…happy birthday!). 🥳
As your friends sing to you, you squeeze your eyes shut and blow out the candles. Suddenly, you're hit with a wave of confidence and hope. It’s a new age, a new you, and anything feels possible.
This feeling of optimism is the fresh start effect in bloom. 🌷
The fresh start effect is the “tendency to be extremely optimistic about our capacity to change at moments in our lives that feel like fresh starts or new beginnings,” explains Katy Milkman, behavioral science professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
There are two main reasons why these clean slates give us a boost of motivation. First, they act as a mental marker between the “old you” and “new you.” Standing at the border between your past and your future, you’re more likely to step forward and embrace that “new beginning, new me” mindset.
Second, the anticipation of a special calendar date (like your birthday or New Year’s) encourages you to pause and reflect on who you are versus who you want to be. And when you assess your future goals and plan for them accordingly, you’re more likely to be motivated to take action. 🏃♀️
Does this mean you have to wait for your next trip around the sun to hit the reset button? Nope! Any day or marked occasion that brings a sense of newness can serve as a “fresh start” — the first day of spring, moving to a new city, starting a new job, or even a Monday (like this one 😉).
But one thing most people miss about this phenomenon?
It’s a double-edged sword — and it can actually undo your progress if used incorrectly.
“Try not to wipe the slate clean if things are going well for you,” Katy Milkman suggests. For example, if you’ve been going to the gym every day in April, you want to avoid getting a new calendar for May so you can “start fresh.” That’s because halting the smooth line of progress might demotivate you.
It’s similar to a video game — if you’re at level five only to get reset to level one, you won’t feel as driven to keep playing. 👾 So, if you end April on a 30-day workout streak, make May 1st day 31. (And use your fresh start for a fresh goal.)
The awesome thing about the fresh start effect is that you have hundreds of opportunities to declare a day as special and start anew. It’s just up to you to mark your starting point, get set, and go toward that new version of you. 🙌
How will AI change the world?
by TED-Ed
For decades, AI mainly existed in science fiction. But now, AI is at our doorstep — and is about to change our lives.
The thing is, we aren’t sure how it’ll impact our world. Will AI accelerate human progress? Or are we doomed to chaos if these machines become self-aware (the thing sci-fi films have been trying to warn us about this whole time!). 🤖
In this video, AI expert Stuart Russell explores AI’s limitations and how to create human-compatible technology. The good news is that we’re probably not going to find ourselves in a Terminator-style robot uprising anytime soon.
The science of how to build muscle: full guide
by Julian Shapiro
Hitting the gym can feel daunting — especially when you’re trying to build up those muscles. 💪 How do you know if your form is correct? What are the most effective exercises? Do you *have* to chug protein powder to get ripped?
This muscle-building manual from Julian Shapiro has all those answers and more. It’s packed with science-backed insights, from measuring your gains to setting a workout plan — letting you not just understand the how of building muscle, but the why behind it.
Library of short stories
By Evan C Lewis
If you’re someone who practices tsundoku (the art of having more books than you can read), we have just the thing to help lighten your bookshelves’ load. 📚
Introducing Library of Short Stories, a website that hosts thousands of free classic short stories and delivers them straight to your tablet, phone, or computer.
Whether you’re in the mood to read Australian poetry, American sci-fi, or Scottish mystery, this library has it all. No idea what to read? The website has a “Discover” tab, home to a flurry of recommendations sorted by “Librarian’s Picks,” “The Classics,” “Theme Collections,” and more.
Happy reading! 🤓
QUESTION
What is a good way to keep motivation up from day to day even when stuff hits the fan?
— Sam R., Ohio
ANSWER
To answer that, here’s a 1-minute video from Matt, encouraging you to…not rely on motivation to help you reach your goals. (And 3 things to focus on instead.)
Got a question for the Slow Growth team? Click here to send it our way!
Written by Alice Lemée
Edited by Matt D'Avella & Ashley Martin