Opting Out of the Growth Trap—Letting go of ‘more’ to make room for what matters.
We live in a world that worships ‘more.’ More money, more growth, more success. But what if there’s a better way?
It’s easy to get caught up in society’s definition of success, but sometimes the best move is choosing less—less work, less hustle—to free up time for what matters.
Cal Newport gave an example of of choosing less in his book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. He described a successful web designer who chose to reduce his busyness instead of seeking ever-increasing growth and money for his booming business. In his line of work, success was defined as growing his business bigger and making more money.
Business culture tells us success equals an ever-expanding business. Success equals more money and more employees.
However, he chose ‘enough’ over cultural models of success. He sold his business and moved to a remote location on Vancouver Island, where he and his wife could enjoy pursuing the things that mattered in their lives, such as gardening and surfing. He reduced his professional work to part-time contract work. He chose to opt out of the growth trap and have more personal time.
Redefining Success on Your Terms
‘Enough’ is a legitimate alternative to ‘always more.’ If you have ‘enough’ money, more time can be more valuable than more money.
I have a friend whose business is doing well. He spent a few years setting up workflow systems, hiring part-time help, and building his business to the point where it provides a good income. Building efficiencies into his business has given him some discretionary time.
Some of his friends encourage him to use this time to expand his business, become even more successful, and earn yet more money. However, he chooses to use the time to pursue his own interests instead of making more money. He feels he has ‘enough.’
When I was a sole practitioner as an attorney, I didn’t want to grow my business to become a big legal office. I wanted just enough business to where I had ‘enough’ income to meet my needs and desires. I valued less work and more time for my own interests over having more money.
If I was busy, I turned away new clients. I intentionally decided not to grow my business by hiring another attorney or other full-time employees since I knew it would take more of my time to provide training and supervision.
Defining Your Own ‘Enough’
How do you define ‘enough?’
Each person defines ‘enough’ for themselves. No one else can do so for you since we all have different needs and desires. There are a number of factors that we need to consider to define what ‘enough’ is:
• Essential living expenses.
• The standard of living we desire.
• Debt repayment responsibilities.
• Healthcare costs.
• Retirement planning costs.
• Time versus money values.
Whether you think you have ‘enough’ can determine when you’re ready to retire. I had a friend who was a successful attorney who owned some business property along with his home. His wife was a medical doctor, an anesthesiologist. He said he wanted to retire, but he kept putting it off because he thought he didn’t have ‘enough’ due to a stock market dip.
To me, that made no sense at all. I couldn’t imagine someone not having ‘enough’ with a thriving practice, a wife who was an anesthesiologist, and owning multiple properties.
But my values and definition of ‘enough’ were apparently very different from theirs. They traveled extensively in remote locations and probably wanted to continue that or even increase it in retirement. So, what was ‘enough’ for me wasn’t ‘enough’ for them.
Be Brave—Set Your Own Standard of Success
In a world that encourages us to accumulate and achieve more, sometimes the bravest move is to pause and ask, ‘Do I already have enough?’
Cal Newport’s web designer did it. My friend did it. I did it. And maybe you can, too. Because sometimes, the real success story is the one where you get to enjoy your life—right now.