Research Explores How “Fresh Starts” Affect Our Motivation at Work

The beginning of the year is often a time for fresh starts. It marks a new period — a distinct point between the past and the future — which motivates people to set new goals. But what if you were already doing pretty well? Would a fresh start still be motivating? Or might it actually set you back? In the context of work performance, new research finds that a fresh start (a “performance reset”) can affect people’s motivation and future performance differently, depending on their past performance. Those with lower performance became more motivated and improved after their performance was reset, while stronger performers found resets demotivating. Why does this happen? The research suggests that resets influence people’s self-efficacy, or their belief in their ability to perform well.

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