Adventures in Opting Out

A guide to opting out of expectations and living a more intentional life from the bestselling author of The Year of Less.

'I emerged from Adventures in Opting Out feeling courageous. In these pages, Cait Flanders does more than simply inspire us to live with more depth and authenticity. She gives us rare, practical guidance on reaching beyond outworn cultural norms to discover – and to follow – the adventure that is ours alone to create' – Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Mozart's Starling

Here are some of the things Cait Flanders has opted out of in the past 10 years:

• Drinking, when she decided to get completely sober, at the age of 27.

• Living with debt, when she finished paying off $30,000 of it and vowed: never again.

• Working in an office, when she quit to work for herself.

• Having a lot of stuff, when she decluttered and got rid of 80-85% of it.

• Having a home, when she decided to fully embrace her nomadic lifestyle.

In Adventures in Opting Out, Flanders offers a trail map to following her example and building a slow, mindful, minimalist life that emphasises the beauty of the natural world, the importance of real human connection, the joys of travel, and the happiness that comes from living an intentional life in harmony with your own values.

Choosing to opt out is a brave decision, and ultimately an infinitely rewarding one. But that doesn't mean it's easy. There will be hardships along the way – relationships questioned, demons faced, addictions confronted – but with Flanders's guidance and advice, drawn from her own journey and examples of others who have picked the road less travelled, you'll have all the encouragement and insight you'll need to build a life of purpose, fulfilment, and adventure.