Opting Out on Purpose: The Growth You Don’t See on Instagram
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is choose something softer.
You’ve probably heard some version of it before:
“If you’re not pushing harder, you’re giving up.”
“If you’re not hustling, you’re falling behind.”
“If you slow down, you’ll never get where you want to go.”
But what if that’s not true?
What if choosing a slower, more intentional path isn’t giving up—it’s growing on purpose?
What if walking away from the hustle isn’t quitting, but finally beginning—on your own terms?
When Slowing Down Looks Like Failure (But Isn’t)
For many of us, success was defined early: more effort, more output, more striving.
Rest? Lazy.
Ease? Suspicious.
Quitting? A failure of character.
So when you start to question the pace you’ve been keeping—or the path you’re on—it can feel like betrayal. Like weakness. Like falling behind.
But that reaction isn’t truth.
It’s conditioning.
You were taught to measure your worth by your productivity.
You were rewarded for overextending, overdelivering, overfunctioning.
You were celebrated for being tired all the time.
And maybe now… you’re just done.
What It Really Means to Opt Out
Opting out doesn’t mean doing nothing.
It means doing things differently.
It means:
Choosing intention over autopilot
Prioritizing clarity over chaos
Valuing your energy as much as your to-do list
Opting out isn’t a pause button on your dreams.
It’s a reset.
A quiet refusal to follow systems that don’t fit you—and a commitment to finding what does.
It’s not a break from growth.
It’s a move toward the kind that actually lasts.
Growth Doesn’t Have to Be Loud
We don’t talk enough about the kind of growth that doesn’t go viral.
The kind that happens in therapy, or while journaling through an identity shift, or quietly walking away from a toxic job.
The kind that doesn’t show up in Instagram highlights but still changes your life in real, lasting ways.
The kind that looks like learning to rest before you’re forced to.
And yet—we’re constantly bombarded with the opposite.
We scroll past stories of overnight success.
People manifesting 7-figure businesses in 90 days.
One post that somehow came with a $100k payday and a brand-new kitchen remodel.
And we wonder—am I doing it wrong?
Because you’re working on yourself.
You’re trying to heal.
You’re learning to live differently.
And it doesn’t look glamorous or fast.
It looks like messy middle steps, baby boundaries, and tiny shifts that no one claps for.
But that work?
It’s the most important kind.
It’s not performative. It’s foundational.
This is the kind of growth that doesn’t chase the algorithm.
It builds something real.
A Tiny Reflection (If You’re Craving Change)
If you’ve been wondering whether you’re allowed to step back, reimagine, or start again…
Let this be your invitation to ask:
What am I ready to release—even if it still “works”?
Where am I pushing just to prove something?
What might be waiting for me on the other side of slowing down?
Take a few minutes to write your answers to one or more of these questions.
No need to answer perfectly. Just begin.
Want a space to figure this out?
That’s exactly why I created The Opt-Out Club.
It’s a slow-living membership for women who are done with performative productivity and ready to build a life that actually fits.
No hustle. No gold stars for burnout.
Just real, sustainable support that meets you where you are—and helps you grow in ways that feel true.
Inside the Club, you’ll get:
Monthly Shifts to explore personal growth at your pace
Private podcast episodes to spark insight on the go
Personalized monthly feedback (from me!) so you never feel like you’re figuring it out alone
Tools, prompts, and guidance for building a life that feels like yours
Because opting out isn’t the end of your story.
It’s the beginning of one that finally makes sense.
