Starting again isn't starting from scratch
- Louise Pavoni
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
We're often encouraged to embrace change, but the past few months have reminded me how uncomfortable uncertainty can be.
A house move, a new town, a new part time job, and rebuilding my client base. It’s been exciting, draining, stressful and amazing in equal measure, and the not knowing was hard. Where will I find work? How long will it take to be busy again? How will I feel moving out of London after nearly 20 years?
I know it’s important to practise gratitude and take stock, but for someone who has a very active mind and finds it hard to put the brakes on and be present, I don’t often zoom out and see the bigger picture. So I’m taking time to do that - to embrace the transition and think about the lessons I’ve learnt.
Lesson 1: Starting again isn't failure
Why are we so hard on ourselves? Leaving London and starting my business again didn’t mean I had wasted time or that I was going backwards. All my marketing experience and everything I learnt from building a successful practice can be put into action again. Probably more quickly and effectively!
The thought of finding new clients made me nervous. But soon I realised I was being more decisive and strategic, because I was actually more sure of myself and what I needed to do to get up and running again. Dare I say, I was more confident.
Lesson 2: Trust your intuition
I felt like I wasn’t in the right place for a while – physically, emotionally, spiritually. That feeling of not quite fitting in or being where you are meant to be, had been with me for a good year or more before moving. I wasn’t able to imagine myself living in London and getting what I needed out of life – the two weren’t really matching up anymore.
Practising Reiki means I pay a lot of attention to energetic shifts and blockages within myself. In self-Reiki, I worked on my root chakra, third eye and solar plexus – areas associated with feeling grounded, trusting your intuition and personal power, while focusing on what I needed to feel happy at home and at work.
This helped me step out of my comfort zone, and I started to trust that I was going in the right direction.
Lesson 3: Community matters
I used to enjoy the anonymity and unpredictability of London. But I started to find the transience and pace of the city unappealing.
I wanted a community. I’m happy to now feel a feel a part of something since moving – thanks to meeting local therapists, friendly cafe and shop staff, or my lovely neighbours who really look out for each other.
Lesson 4: See the bigger picture
I tend to get bogged down in the day-to-day and sweat the small things, so I try to remind myself to step back and get some perspective, and to think about how far I’ve come in the past two years since making a career change.
One day I'll look back on my life and think, I’m so glad I pushed myself! I made the move, I tried something new. With no guarantees.
It was worth taking the leap because I knew on a deeper level what I needed. And when things feel difficult or progress is slower than I'd like, I remind myself that things always change and shift.
Lesson 5: Progress isn’t linear
Experiencing so much change in a short period of time brought up some difficult emotions for me and it’s frustrating to feel that way when you have so much in your life to be thankful for. That's OK though – progress isn’t linear and I'm learning to trust that all you can ever do is your best.
Lesson 6: I needed more space than I realised
My appreciation for the sea has really grown and I love the feeling of living on the edge of the world!
The sense of spaciousness, and the constant movement of the sea, are doing wonders for my nervous system. Particularly at the end of a crazy day.
Getting out in nature has always helped me to reset, but being on the coast and having access to the South Downs is reminding me how much I really need that space.
Lesson 7: There are many ways to measure success
In this transition period of moving my business and establishing a new life, it’s disconcerting when things don’t happen as quickly as I’d like. Then the Leo in me starts giving me a hard time.
But I'm learning to be patient and think about measuring success differently: leaving work feeling energised after meeting a new client who I really connect with. Doing work I enjoy, in a space I really like. Receiving lovely feedback. Those things are really important to acknowledge right now.
Starting again, with everything I've learnt
I think starting again has made me a better massage therapist. I’m really living my values, I know what type of therapist I want to be and, most importantly, the kind of experience I want to create for my clients.
It’s made me more aware of what I need to feel grounded in myself, happy and fulfilled. In work and outside of work.
I thought I was starting from scratch, but I wasn't. I was starting again – with everything I'd already learnt guiding me.
