Writer / Amanda Spalding
The American poet Breton Braley once wrote, “Start where you stand and never mind the past.” It’s a reminder that the present moment offers an opportunity to begin again, regardless of past stumbles or regrets. For many of us, that feeling intensifies at the turn of the year. New Year’s Day carries with it a curious power: it feels like a reset button, a chance to rewrite habits, revisit dreams, and set intentions for the coming year.
Psychologists have a name for this phenomenon — temporal landmarks. These are meaningful points in time that allow us to draw a mental line between our past selves and the person we want to become. New Year’s Day is the most famous, but birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and even the first day of a new month can work the same magic.
Why do these dates matter so much, and how can we harness them to profoundly change our lives rather than simply drafting resolutions that fade by February? The answers lie in psychology, self-awareness and deliberate planning.
What Are Temporal Landmarks?
In a widely cited paper published in Psychological Science, researchers Hengchen Dai, Katherine Milkman and Jason Riis (2015) found that temporal landmarks serve as psychological “fresh starts.” They mark boundaries in time that separate our past failures from our future potential. By mentally turning the page, we feel less tethered to previous disappointments and more motivated to pursue new goals.
These landmarks don’t need to be major holidays. They can be public events (the start of spring), cultural milestones (a religious festival) or personal turning points (your first day at a new job). As Wharton professor Katy Milkman explained, temporal landmarks “strongly associated with the beginning of a new period cause people (a) to engage in activities designed to facilitate goal initiation and (b) to predict that their own and other people’s motivation to tackle goals will be higher.”
In other words, these markers trick our brains into seeing life as a series of chapters. Just as we expect a new chapter in a novel to bring change, we instinctively believe we, too, can begin again.
The Fresh Start Effect
The “fresh start effect” is powerful because it addresses two deep human needs: the desire to grow and the desire to forgive ourselves. Too often, people abandon goals because they feel overwhelmed by past missteps. Temporal landmarks offer a clean break.
Think of the difference between saying, “I failed at exercising last week,” and “This Monday marks the start of my new workout plan.” The second statement detaches you from the old you — the one who skipped the gym — and redefines you as the type of person who begins anew.
Psychologists suggest this separation helps explain why New Year’s resolutions, while often short-lived, are so appealing. They represent a symbolic rebirth. But the good news is, we don’t have to wait until January 1. We can create our own mini fresh starts throughout the year.
Taking Inventory: Turning Reflection into Renewal
According to Lindsey Kane, director of nutrition and habit-hacking for Sunbasket, one of the best ways to use a temporal landmark is to perform a self-inventory. This means stepping back to honestly assess your progress, your values and your challenges.
Louisville health and wellness coach Ryan Harper of Results by Design Fitness agrees with the importance of reflection. “It’s vital to meet yourself exactly where you are now, then create a roadmap to get to your destination.”
Ask yourself:
- What went well over the past year, season or month?
- Where did I fall short — and why?
- What habits, routines or relationships no longer serve me?
- What do I want my future self to thank me for?
This process isn’t about judgment — it’s about clarity. Once you’ve reflected, the landmark becomes more than a date on a calendar. It transforms into a launchpad.
Designing Your Own Landmarks
Not all landmarks have to be fixed by culture or tradition. You can design your own. Psychologists call these “micro-landmarks” — smaller, more frequent markers that provide regular resets. Coach Harper agrees with this, saying, “We need clear ways to track our progress. What gets measured gets managed.” These temporal landmarks could include:
- The first day of each month: treat it as a mini-New Year.
- Seasonal shifts: spring cleaning, autumn resets or summer challenges.
- Birthdays: instead of dreading the number, use it as a chance to chart a year of growth.
- Milestones in projects: the completion of one phase can be the perfect cue to start a new habit.
By layering these micro-landmarks into your routine, you create multiple opportunities for fresh starts instead of relying on just one big annual push.
The Role of Accountability
Temporal landmarks are most effective when paired with accountability. A date may spark motivation — but sustaining it requires structure. That’s where an accountability partner — a friend, coach, therapist or mentor — can make all the difference.
Checking in with someone at each landmark can reinforce progress and soften setbacks. The key is kindness.
Accountability should not feel like punishment, but like support. After all, the whole point of a fresh start is to move forward without being chained to past mistakes.
Set aside time for your own personal reflection. There are many places in Louisville to find peace and tranquility. Here are a few suggestions:
- The Salt Cave (Louisville) or the Salt Room (Crestwood), which offer halotherapy in warm, comfortable environments — perfect for reflection.
- The Parklands of Floyds Fork — 62 miles of trails, meadows and wooded areas offering quiet spots to reflect.
- The grounds or gallery spaces of the Speed Art Museum, where art and quiet spaces might inspire clarity and new ideas.
From Resolution to Action: Making Landmarks Work
So how can we turn the abstract idea of temporal landmarks into concrete results? Here are five strategies:
- Mark Your Calendar — Choose a mix of major and micro-landmarks throughout the year. Program reminders into your phone or planner.
- Pair Landmarks with Habits — Decide in advance what action each landmark will trigger. For example, the first Monday of each month could be your “progress review day.”
- Celebrate Progress — Use landmarks not just for resets but for celebrations. Acknowledging wins reinforces momentum.
- Start Small — Break goals into micro-steps. Landmarks are natural checkpoints for these smaller victories.
- Stay Flexible — If one goal falls flat, use the next landmark to pivot rather than abandon the effort altogether.
Local and Global Resources
Communities often provide resources that align naturally with temporal landmarks. In Louisville, for instance, organizations such as The Knowledge Academy and Create Your Life host workshops on goal setting. Colleges and adult education centers also offer personal-development programs timed around semesters — built-in landmarks that encourage renewal.
On a global scale, digital platforms provide courses, habit-trackers and wellness challenges designed to align with monthly or seasonal resets. These tools extend the power of landmarks by giving them structure and support.
Also, check with your physician or local fitness center if your goals are health and wellness related. Some fitness centers, like Results by Design, will help you set your goals, break them down into manageable chunks and check in with you at your temporal landmarks to provide accountability.
Why This Matters Now
In an age of constant distraction and information overload, many of us feel untethered, drifting from task to task without clear boundaries. Temporal landmarks provide those boundaries. They remind us that life isn’t an endless blur of days, but a story with chapters. Each landmark is an invitation to pause, reflect and redirect.
And while New Year’s Day may hold the cultural spotlight — it’s just one of many opportunities. Every week, every month, every birthday and even every Monday morning offers a fresh start. By embracing these moments, we can transform our relationship with time — not as something to endure, but as something to design.
Conclusion: Start Where You Stand
The brilliance of temporal landmarks is not in the dates themselves but in the meaning we assign to them. A sunrise on Jan. 1 is no different, physically, from a sunrise on July 1. What makes it special is the story we tell ourselves — that today, we begin again.
By consciously using these landmarks, we can craft a life punctuated by renewal rather than regret. We can forgive our past selves, honor our present efforts and invest in our future potential.
So don’t wait until next January to take inventory or set goals. Look at your calendar, choose your next landmark tomorrow morning or at the start of the next season — and declare it a fresh start. As Braley urged: start where you stand. The rest of your story is waiting to be written.
