No. 8: Starting Fresh
Change can be gentle and nice.
TL;DR
In 2023, I took a sabbatical. I let go of what I couldn’t fix and made space for what I could create.
I co-founded a startup, picked up painting again after a decade, and leaned into mentorship and community.
This post is about choosing clarity, meaning, and starting over.
New Is Nice, Always.
The Upside of Starting Fresh
In 2023, I stopped trying to fix what I couldn’t change and I made room for what I could create.
I co-founded a startup.
I finished 550 hours of Pilates training.
I picked up a paintbrush for the first time in ten years.
I mentored over 100 designers.
I spent more time with my daughter.
I reconnected with myself and with the kind of life I actually want.
Work can be meaningful. Joyful and human. It doesn’t have to be just a transaction. Wellbeing means living in alignment and feeling whole.
If you’re in a season of reset, or whatever you wish to call to, you’re exactly where you need to be to begin again.
Here’s what this has meant for me in my career and my personal life:
Joy and health as priorities
Space for creativity
Better boundaries
Aligned relationships
Simplification — less clutter
Redefinition of success
Fresh starts build discernment. I'm hoping they reward courage too.
Why Start Fresh
I hit a point where work no longer aligned with what mattered to me, and I needed more. More joy and healthier relationships.
I needed time to evaluate the impact from years of dysfunction. Burnout had crept in slowly for a second time. I was the only designer at a fast-growing company, spread thin and constantly context-switching. Eventually the design team grew, but I had hit a career ceiling.
I bought a house thinking it would ground me. Instead, it amplified my depression. I sold it. I went to Japan. I came back ready to redesign my life. I finally had the space to love myself a little more.
Starting over isn’t failure. It’s intentional, iterative, and strategic. Like product design!
So What Comes Next?
Maybe you’re not sure what your next move is. That’s okay. Starting fresh doesn’t mean you need a five-year plan. Sometimes, it just means giving yourself permission to start listening.
"New is Nice Always" isn’t about constant reinvention.
Change can be soft, quiet, and nice. It doesn’t have to come from a breakdown. It can come from curiosity, courage, or just the simple desire to feel more like yourself again.
You just a little space and a little faith in what’s unfolding.
Maybe a tiny affirmation is helpful. I release what I can’t change. I create what I can.
💌 New Is Nice, Always. — Eva