By Nate Broughton

The Biggest Misconception About the Opt Out Life

6 years ago · 2 minute read

“Opt Out” doesn’t mean take a permanent vacation.

Last week, we shot a documentary for the Opt Out Life. For two days, Dana and I worked alongside a 5-person film crew from Moostache Films to get footage that will give a first-hand look into our day-to-day lives.

We want to show everyone that we are normal people, and that the “opt out life” is something that is both desirable, and attainable. It’s also nothing more than a loose definition for living a life of freedom.

Freedom of time. Freedom of place. Freedom of sources of income.

It is up to you to define what the opt out life is for you.

As we filmed, we all noticed a sharp contrast between Dana’s definition of it and my own. True, we both live the opt out life. But we do it in different ways. We are at different stages in life. We approach our mornings differently. We travel differently. We earn our incomes from various sources, only a few of which overlap.

Towards the end of our second day of filming, we shot some candid one-on-one interviews with Dan from Moostache. He’s an incredible storyteller and filmmaker.

Dan sat us down, and asked plainly, “What’s the biggest misconception people have about the Opt Out Life?”

It’s a great question.

Before Dan asked it, I hadn’t thought about it at all. Not once. But it struck me.

What do people seem to not “get” about this? What is the most common knee-jerk comment we seem to hear that is negative? That scoffs at what we’re doing?

The answer is this:

The biggest misconception about the Opt Out Life is that we’re both drowning in cash, and don’t work.

100% not true.

We don’t have $100 million in the bank. Dana and I don’t sit around doing nothing all day, like we’re at some resort.

We work. We work on our side gigs. We manage our real estate. We are husbands, and fathers. We record podcasts! This stuff doesn’t happen without hours of dedicated work every day, week in and week out.

I can understand where this misconception may come from.

Dana’s book is called “Opt Out”. He wrote it while taking over a year “off” to live in Bali and reset. We’re both successful in business. We live in a desirable place and drive decent cars. We travel. Yes.

It’s a good lifestyle, and it’s the lifestyle that we want everyone who follows the Opt Out Life to have.

But just remember, that lifestyle is fueled by work.

We are not bullshit artists trying to sell some dream of making a quick buck. What makes our pitch different is that we aren’t slinging a get-rich scheme. But, we are also trying to show a pathway out of the rat race. And, we’re doing it through stories of people who have taken the road less traveled, and found their version of the Opt Out Life.

These are real stories, and real step-by-step examples of how we have achieved a lifestyle of relative freedom that people envy,

• WITHOUT selling a company for $100 million.
• WITHOUT being born to rich parents.
• WITHOUT some lucky break that you yourself could never hope to replicate.

No. This life is for everyone, if they are willing to be smart about it, and break through some common fears that seem to hold most people back.

This is for you. And there should be no misconception about it.