Have you ever noticed how much more you get done in the week before a holiday?

In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from the goal gradient effect; the research-backed finding that the closer we are to a finish line, the harder and faster we push, and turn it into something genuinely practical for your career.

Sarah introduces Finish Line Fridays: a simple way to use the psychology of progress to build momentum towards goals that matter, one week at a time. Helen tests it live with her PhD as the goal, and together they explore whether you're more of a fresh start effect person or a finish line focus person, and why pairing the two might be useful.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– What the goal gradient effect is and why it explains so much about how we work (and why rats are involved)

– The difference between the fresh start effect and finish line focus (and which one you're more naturally wired for)

– How to run your own Finish Line Fridays: from picking your goal to setting your first action before you've even finished the current week

– Why knowing the "when" matters as much as the "what", and how to actually protect time in your diary

– How shared finish lines might be even more motivating than solo ones

📚 Resources Mentioned

Farnam Street, Goal Gradient Effect: https://fs.blog/goal-gradient-hypothesis/

Sketchplanations: https://sketchplanations.com/

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

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