Starting Over

Four years ago, I decided to leave what I had in Barcelona and start a new life in Bristol. I had no friends, contacts or previous experiences in the UK. I had to build everything from scratch.

The experience was challenging but exciting, it gave me new chances to do things differently, and my life turned to new directions that I never expected. Starting over ended up being one the best decisions I ever made.

Now, after several years of traveling, I’m doing the same again. I’m starting over.

Why Starting Over

When I moved to Bristol, I wanted to start over because I felt I needed a change in my life. I was unhappy, and I knew things weren’t going to change unless I took action. I simply wanted to try again.

This time is different. I’m starting over not because I’m unhappy, but because I want to implement everything I learned in the past years.

The last four years I’ve been a nomad, traveling from a place to another seeking new experiences, meeting people from around the world, and living in a minimalistic way.

I learned a ton about myself and how I want to live my life. And now, it’s time to put everything together.

A couple of weeks ago, Elina and I arrived in Malmö, Sweden.

We don’t know anyone here, nor the language or the city. We just completed the first stages of our plan: renting a flat and a studio, and establishing the very basic routines.

Starting Over Is a Tool

Starting from scratch is very exciting and powerful.

Questioning our beliefs, opinions, priorities, goals, habits, and workflows, is one of the best ways to improve ourselves.

This applies to everything, including our work.

Sometimes, after chasing an idea for an illustration, I’m stuck, I’m in a dead-end street. I have to start over with a different approach because I know that if I keep doing the same, I won’t find the idea that I’m looking for.

But other times, I just have to redraw an element of the illustration because I know I can do it better and I know that re-doing that part will improve the final result.

Starting over is a tool for improvement.

Starting over doesn’t necessarily imply a complete reset. Sometimes, it just requires adjusting and implementing some changes on top of what we already have.

When to Start Over

I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. ― Steve Jobs

When I feel that something is not working, I do something similar. I ask myself:

If I could start over, what would I do differently?

If the topic is in my mind for many days (even not having an answer), I know I need to change something.

How to Start Over

Here are some tips that help me when I consider starting over.

Some Examples

The list of things we can improve is endless. Some things require very little time and effort, and others are challenging but life-changing.

Here is a bunch of examples that I’ve personally reconsidered and might inspire you to question your own systems.

Conclusions

Starting over can be very challenging and overwhelming, but it can also be seen as a new opportunity to try again from a different perspective or to improve the current situation.

Starting over brings a new chance to do things differently, applying the experience and knowledge previously acquired.

A total reset is not always needed, we can find something small that we know we can do better and improve it.

There is no need to stick into a system or a routine just because it has always been done in that way. It’s up to us to become who we really want to be.