New year, new you? Well, yes, but also, whenever.

Why do so many people create resolutions for the new year? It may seem like an obvious answer, but it's not. Outside of a few numbers on the calendar, there's little difference in someone's life when you compare the 31st of December to the 1st of Jan just one day later. But it feels new and it feels different! That's a cognitive bias known as the "fresh start effect" at work.

Still, there's no reason to wait a whole year to take advantage of this idea. Next Monday could be a "fresh week" and a chance to try to start something again. Or tomorrow can be a "fresh day" with the same intention. We see this bias frequently in sports. Imagine a golfer who's just played a hole terribly. When he steps up on the next tee box, it's a new hole and a chance to get back on track.

While the definition of what constitutes a new start may be trivial, it's impact certainly does not have to be. Take advantage of it for yourself whenever you're in a rut or want to try and start developing a new habit.