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Imagine this…

It’s 6:30 a.m. on January 1, 2025, and your phone’s alarm clock is blaring like a siren.

That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, except you have a pounding headache from drinking a flute or two too much champagne last night.

Groaning, you paw at your phone like a cat to hit the “Snooze” button.

Finally, you do. The noise ends and you sink further into your bed.

​

But just as you’re about to fall back asleep…

Your eyes shoot open because you remember it’s January 1st.

Five days ago, your best friend asked if you were making any New Year’s resolutions.

After thinking about it for a moment, you swore that 2025 would be “your year” to get in shape.

And to make sure you stay accountable (for real this time), you already pre-purchased a three-month gym membership.

So you drag yourself from your cozy bed, dust off your workout clothes and sneakers, and head to the gym.

You wouldn’t have done this a week ago—or three days ago.

Why do you feel motivated to go to the gym just because it’s January 1st?

In today’s edition of Why We Buy 🧠 we’ll explore the Fresh Start Effect—why we’re more motivated to start a new habit at the beginning of a new time period.

Let’s get into it.
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🧠 The Psychology of the Fresh Start Effect

Research shows our brains recognize a new week, month, or year as a “temporal landmark.”

Belonging to the same family tree as trigger events, temporal landmarks are key moments in time that signal a new beginning—in more ways than one.

They also give us psychological distance from our past mistakes and offer a chance to transform into our future, “ideal” selves now that we have a “fresh start.”

Behavioral scientists call this the “Fresh Start Effect.”

And it’s why we’re 145.3% more likely to commit to new goals set around a new year.

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You can make long-term goals even stickier by:

• ​Pairing them with an *immediately* rewarding external factor​
• Breaking them down into bite-sized, detailed steps
• Using gamification to transform them from overwhelming tasks into fun habits​

For marketers, the big takeaway is this: WHEN you sell is just as important as WHAT you sell.

That’s why aligning your offers with “fresh starts” can help drive your Q1 sales and hit *your* New Year’s goals.
​

🤑 How To Apply This

Alright, so how can you apply this right now to sell more like these UNIGNORABLE alumni?

Service-based businesses​
​Showcase your credibility now to sell more later

Creating killer content *now* can help you stand out and stay top of mind when buyers inevitably hit a key temporal landmark and are ready for your services.

Sarah Hart, a massively talented branding designer, consistently turns scrollers into readers with magnetic hooks and eye-catching carousels.

​

By showing up consistently and delivering value, Sarah builds trust and credibility well before her audience is ready to buy.

So when a temporal landmark hits—and people are ready to refresh their branding—*she’s* who they go to.

The result? Her LinkedIn audience has turned into a waitlist of ~100 clients eager to work with her.

Newsletters​
​Choose your delivery date carefully

Alex Merry is a public speaker coach.

And he knows that many people go into Monday feeling ultra-motivated to improve their business (and life).

So that’s when he sends his weekly newsletter.

​

Not only does this strategy likely boost his open rates, but it also makes founders more likely to use the speaking tip.

And once they implement his expert advice and experience the benefit, they’re more likely to hire him.

Smart, huh?

​Online courses​
​Strategically pick a launch date

Eric Partaker, a CEO Coach who’s advised companies like McKinsey and Skype, is launching his new course, CEO Accelerator, in the first month of Q1.

Sure, this taps into the Fresh Start Effect of a new year. But there’s a smart twist.

A good chunk of Eric’s early- to mid-December social posts were geared toward driving his 879,709+ LinkedIn followers to join a free CEO Masterclass—and get an inside look into his new course.

This means he’s using the Fresh Start Effect surrounding the New Year to build interest and drive applications *now* and then double-dips in Q1 with the actual launch.

Double the smartness, double the fun profit.
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💥 The Short of It

Don’t leave your offers to chance.

Craft them around temporal landmarks like a new year, week, or quarter and see the difference it can make in your business.
​Until next time, happy selling!