A new week really does feel like a fresh start.

How they found out

The researchers didn’t ask anyone what they meant to do. They looked at three records of what people actually did:

• eight and a half years of daily Google searches in the US for the word “diet”;
• the entry swipes of nearly 12,000 students at a university gym, over fifteen months;
• about 66,000 goal contracts people set up on a goal-setting website, over more than two years.

What they found

All three rose at the start of each week, each month and each year. Searches and sign-ups rose after public holidays too, and birthdays nudged gym visits up a little. At the start of a week, gym visits were about a third higher than usual.

What it means for how you plan

The records show people starting, not whether they kept going. But they point one way: a clean break in the calendar makes a start easier. This week brings two of them: a new month, and a new week on Monday.

How the planner does it

• It doesn’t make you start from a blank page. Anything you didn’t tick rolls to today on its own, with a small tag that counts the days it’s been carried. Your fresh start begins with what’s still to do.
• On Monday morning, say “Set my focus to …” and the week’s first one thing is pinned to the top of the day.
• Say “Add goal …” and it’s in your Goals, ready for a target number.
• All three are on the free plan, which keeps three goals.