The Quiet Power of Taking a Step Back in Your Career
We’re told that our careers should always move in one direction: up.
Up in title.
Up in salary.
Up in status.
And if we’re not progressing in those ways, something must be wrong - right?
But what happens when moving “up” starts to pull you further away from yourself?
I’ve been there - and so have many of the people I coach. From the outside, everything looks “successful.” Your resume reads like its supposed to. But inside? The fire is out. The job that once felt exciting now feels like performance. The days blur. You hate Sundays. You’re surviving, but not really living.
And yet the thought of stepping back or “backsliding” in your title, salary, or role - feels terrifying. Like failure. Like throwing away everything you’ve worked hard for.
But what if it’s not?
What if taking a step back is actually the most honest, brave, and forward-moving thing you could do?
When backsliding feels like failure
“Backsliding” has never been a flattering term. It implies regression, giving up, failure. It’s often used with shame, like something went wrong.
In our work lives, it might show up as:
Leaving a high-paying job for something more flexible
Turning down a leadership position that could lead to burnout
Wanting to make less money on purpose
Saying no to growth that doesn’t align with your values (like prioritizing time affluence, meaning having enough time to spend on things that are most meaningful to you).
And yet, there’s often a voice that says:
“You worked so hard for this - how can you just walk away?”
”People will think you couldn’t cut it.”
“You’re being selfish.”
“This would be a step backward.”
“I don’t want to backslide in my career.”
“It’s too late to pivot.” or “I’ve come too far to start over.”
I’ve heard these voices, too! When I quit my job as an Assistant Director of a non-profit to start this coaching business, I struggled with feeling like I was letting a lot of people down. Or when I dramatically reduced my availability after having the best financial year in my business, I struggled with thinking I was bad at entrepreneurship.
We carry this fear that changing direction - especially if it affects our income, our status, or our identity - means we’re erasing progress. Like everything we’ve accomplished to this point no longer matters.
Many of us were taught to tie our self-worth to productivity, job titles, or how much money we make. So when we start dreaming of something else - more time, more purpose, more realness - we also start questioning our value as people. The culture we live in doesn’t always make space for that.
But here’s what I’ve learned again and again:
Just because it doesn’t make sense to others (and on LinkedIn) doesn’t mean it’s not the right move for your life.
What intentional backsliding really means
Intentional backsliding isn’t about giving up. It’s about waking up.
It’s the choice to stop climbing the ladder that leads somewhere you no longer want to go.
It might mean making less money, yes - but not always. It might mean walking away from a prestigious title, or saying no to a promotion, or choosing flexibility over visibility.
It’s about reclaiming your ambition and aiming it somewhere that actually fits.
Now, let’s pause for something important:
Involuntary backsliding is different.
That’s when life pushes you off the ladder without warning — layoffs, systemic bias, budget cuts, politics. Like the 275K U.S. civic servants who have been laid off in 2025 so far. They/you didn’t choose it, and now you’re left navigating the loss, the grief, and the rebuilding. That’s real. That’s hard. And it deserves a different kind of support. (One I’m still trying to wrap my head around on how to support beyond 1:1 career coaching.)
But for those who can choose a shift - even amid uncertainty - intentional backsliding is about moving with purpose, not panic.
A client’s story I can’t stop thinking about
One of my past clients - who gave me permission to share this - wrote me in response to my tee up of The Intentional Backsliders Club idea. It’s a perfect example of what intentional backsliding can look like in real life:
“Backsliders — taking the job at ABC Corp and staying is something a LOT of people would see as backsliding.There are no official job titles here (I’ll never ‘make it to Director’ here), there are no annual performance reviews, we generally work 40 hours a week (not 50, not 60 — a legit 40), there’s a company gym and I work out at work 4 or 5 times a week.Part of my job — for a person with 20 years of experience in logistics, who’s managed close to a billion dollars in freight spend, who has a master’s degree — is ordering coffee for the office and cleaning the coffee machine every day.I am not progressing nor ‘climbing’ in my work skill set or ‘rank.’ I’ve been here for 7 years.”
Then he wrote this:
“Backsliding was a MOUNTAINOUS step forward in working on myself.
Getting a PhD in ‘me.’
There’s no LinkedIn job title that can convey that path.
The substance in daily life that yields — no bank account number can show that.”
YES! THAT is what I’m saying!
He didn’t fail. He realigned.
And that’s the kind of brave, unglamorous, quietly radical decision we need to talk about more often.
You might be in a season of intentional backsliding if:
You might be in a season of intentional backsliding if:
You’re craving a career shift but feel guilty about walking away from a “good thing” especially “in this economy.”
You’ve achieved what you thought you wanted - and now wonder… is this it?
You want to redirect ambition toward other parts of your life: caregiving, health, rest, creativity, community
You’re not burned out yet, but you feel the edges fraying and you want to choose a different path before the fire hits
You’re not alone and you’re not failing!
Introducing: The Intentional Backsliders Club
This September 2025, I’m launching a small group coaching experience for people navigating this moment. It’s called The Intentional Backsliders Club and it’s for people who are ready to think differently about success, value, and what matters right now.
I’m still shaping this coaching group, but here’s how I’m pretty sure it will be structured:
We’ll meet live on Zoom bi-weekly over 12 weeks (so 6 times)
It’ll be a small, supportive cohort of 8-12 people
Each week we’ll explore a major theme, like:
identity disruption (and potential loss of status)
fear of regret
financial & structural security
ambition redirection & enoughness
There will be time built in for self-reflection and community sharing
You’ll receive optional homework
I’ll provide light coaching during the live sessions
We’ll meet and learn from real Intentional Backsliders (I’m hoping to have them as guests)
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, help me shape the idea!
If you’re not sure if this is for you, you’re welcome to email me at lindsey(at)lindseylathrop.com and we can sort it out.
And as always, I’m available for 1:1 coaching which you can learn all about here.
