Two Sylvias' Weekly Muse: August 28, 2022

Issue 18

Hello, Muse Readers!

Although autumn doesn’t officially begin this year until September 22nd, most of us feel the transition from summer to fall when we move from August into September. Late August and early September mark the beginning of the “academic year” when schools are in session again. We can utilize this sense of entering a new season when it comes to setting goals in our writing lives—it’s called the “fresh-start effect.”

The “fresh-start effect” was coined by Wharton professor Katy Milkman in her book, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. We often think of January 1st, New Year’s Day, as the main focus for goal setting and starting fresh, but according to Milkman, there are opportunities for us to wipe the slate clean and begin again at numerous points throughout the year. And according to studies, we are just as likely to achieve our goals beginning on these days as on January 1st.

The key to the fresh-start effect is finding a tim…