The Power of a Fresh Start

A new calendar year.

The first day of a new month.

The summer solstice.

Starting a new job.

Birthdays.

Mondays.

New beginnings offer the chance to redeem past efforts and stake a new claim on success. Anytime performance has been sluggish, perhaps a fresh start will reinvigorate effort.

Fresh starts are especially important when performance against the competition is lopsided and not in your favor.

• Behind by 30 points in a game

• Down 10 percent in revenue

• Challenged by the ability to sustain reps during workouts

• Unable to achieve the goals that have been previously set

• Trend lines moving in the opposite direction

These are perfect times to reset and begin again.

Starting lines are full of promise and hope, and teams behave differently when a new race is in the offing. When metrics, scores, and goals are recalibrated for a fresh start, team members become re-energized by the possibilities. With a fresh start, teams perform differently, usually finding the swagger and confidence they need to perform at the highest level.

No matter how hard the past has been, we can always begin again. Teams and performers depend on leaders to make the call to reset. Leaders remind others that a fresh start is not a new beginning as much as it is a new mindset. With a slate wiped clean, anything is possible. The score is 0-0, now play like you belong in this game.