Why a new start can feel good and scary at the same time

We can start again countless times in our lives: a new job, a new relationship, a new day. Why does a fresh beginning feel so good, yet at the same time, just a bit scary? We share three insights. 

• You always bring the past with you
  Burning your bridges behind you, going out for a pack of cigarettes and never coming back: few people really want to begin with a clean slate, argues philosopher Marli Huijer. “We’re held back by our longing for continuity, for repetition,” she says. “Besides, it’s just an illusion that we can wipe out our past. After all, we look at the world through the lens of our experience.” According to Huijer, you’ll get further if you start something new in what already exists. “Someone who takes the initiative to do things differently in their work or relationship will bring about more change than someone who clumsily leaves to start something new somewhere else.”