A note on energy, choice, and why staying home can sometimes move you further forward.

A few weeks ago, I made a decision that surprised even me:
I chose not to go to South by Southwest.

If you know me, you’ll understand why that’s a big deal. I love learning. I love watching what’s next. I love being in rooms where ideas collide and new ones are born. Conferences like that are usually my version of a mental spa; I come home full of notes, clarity, and caffeine.

But this time, something felt off.
Not wrong. Just unnecessary.

I didn’t need more input.
I needed stillness.

The Unexpected Reset

So instead of boarding a flight and running through an overfilled schedule, I spent three unplanned days in my hometown. The kind of days that don’t make the highlight reel: shopping with my mum, lunch with my nan, a few holes of golf with my parents, and long walks with no podcast playing in my ears.

It was slow, ordinary, grounding.
And exactly what I needed.

There’s a quiet kind of magic that happens when you let the world shrink back to its normal size. No buzz, no panels, no new frameworks to adopt. Just real life.

And in that space, I realised something:
You can love ambition and still choose rest.
You can be curious and still crave familiarity.
You can skip an event everyone else swears is “unmissable” and still be deeply, perfectly aligned.


When Growth Looks Like Stillness

We’re taught that momentum is everything; that moving forward, learning more, and saying yes to opportunity is the mark of progress. But sometimes, growth hides in the quieter choices.

It’s in the restraint.
In saying “not this time.”
In deciding that the most strategic move might be to sit still for a moment.

The irony? Those three days of doing “nothing” gave me more perspective than I’ve had in months. Space to reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and where my next real energy should go.

Because when your calendar is full of inspiration, it’s easy to forget that clarity doesn’t come from consuming. It comes from integrating.


Energy as a Resource

As business owners, we’re told to manage time and money, but rarely do we talk about managing energy.

Energy is the currency that determines the quality of everything else.
Where you place it, how you protect it, and when you replenish it quietly shape your results.

This month, I realised I didn’t need new information or motivation. I needed recovery. A few days of sunlight, normal conversation, and being just Rebecca, not the founder, strategist, or speaker.

And honestly? It felt like progress.


A Little Jealous, Still at Peace

Of course, there’s still a tiny part of me that’s jealous. Watching friends post photos from SXSW, I feel that familiar pull — the buzz, the energy, the FOMO.

I’ve had the privilege of attending twice before, and both times were genuinely incredible. The kind of experiences that shift how you think and remind you how fast the world moves. So I know exactly what I’m “missing,” and that’s what makes this decision even more interesting.

Because this year, I didn’t need more of that kind of energy. I needed something slower: the golf course, the laughter, the warmth, the stillness.

And I know I chose right.

I’ll go again another year, when I want new energy, not when I’m supposed to seek it.


A Thought to Leave You With

You’re allowed to change your mind.
You’re allowed to choose rest even when opportunity knocks.
And you’re allowed to measure progress not by how much you do, but by how aligned you feel while doing it.

Sometimes, the smartest business move isn’t found on a stage or in a breakout session.
It’s found over coffee with your nan, or in the quiet hum of a day where nothing spectacular happens — and somehow, everything resets.

If this resonated, take five minutes today to check in with your own energy.
Ask yourself: Do I need more input, or more integration?
The answer might surprise you