The Power of a Clean Slate

There’s something genuinely powerful about a fresh start.

Our brains are wired to respond to temporal landmarks - the first week of January, a new quarter, the start to the week. Even a new day. These moments create a psychological “before” and “after”, which makes change feel more possible. This phenomenon is known as the Fresh Start Effect, a term popularised by Daniel Pink.

That’s why January matters. Not because it demands drastic resolutions, but because it offers a reset and a chance to choose differently. It’s the most powerful fresh start we are given.

If you’re stepping into this year wanting things to feel different this is your moment to harness the clean slate it offers us. Decide what good looks like this year - not just for the business, but for you as a leader. The standards you hold. The behaviours you model when things are busy, stretched, or uncertain.

Change doesn’t need to be loud to be meaningful. Sometimes it starts quietly, with a clear line drawn between what was… and what comes next.