2 minute read
Out Islands, Bahamas
Entrepreneurship isn’t a career—it’s a calling, in effect a way of living, right? It requires tireless drive, striving, resilience, and a durable sense of optimism. While technical skills, strategic thinking, and resource allocation are “givens” (merely to be in the game), the intangible qualities of positive energy and zest function as differentiators for high-achieving entrepreneurs. They are “attracting” personality characteristics, and these features go far beyond merely rah-rah superficial enthusiasm; they represent a deep-seated vitality, an alive-ness; a magnetic lifeforce that fuels teams, fosters innovation, and overcomes the inevitable challenges of building and leading an enterprise from little or nothing.
Katy Milkman’s Fresh Start Effect is the idea that temporal landmarks—moments that feel like a new chapter—psychologically separate our old imperfect selves from a new aspirational self… and that little mental reset makes change feel suddenly irresistible.
A Psychological Science paper by Milkman’s lab at Wharton (Dai, Milkman & Riis, 2015) tested causation in lab experiments: Emphasizing a temporal landmark that marks a beginning causally increased people to start pursuing goals. The effect was linked to psychological separation between the present self and past imperfections, making the “fresh start” feel like a real reset. This isn’t just a correlation — it shows why "fresh starts" feel powerful. They signal a new beginning.
It is no coincidence (is anything?) that I am writing this during New Year’s week 2026—a fresh start in itself. An orbit around the sun might be one, birthdays can be one, Monday’s can be one, certain life milestones / disruptions (graduations, marriage, un-marriage, new geography, new career) can be one. Hell, here’s the essence for me: I experience every single sunrise as a fresh start.
These moments create a clean line in our personal narrative-- the story of you.
Why does it work? Past failures feel safely “behind” you. Guilt loses some of its grip. Motivation spikes because the future self feels more capable, disciplined, and intentional. Goals feel and are not merely symbolic, but completely practical (“This is who I am now”). For entrepreneurs especially, the Fresh Start is powerful because it pairs beautifully with: rebrands, new ventures, strategic “re-sets,” and personal reinvention narratives.
A fresh start isn’t magic—but it feels like it. And feelings, when timed right, are deliciously persuasive.
© 2026 Bigelow LLC. All rights reserved.