How often do you experience FOMO?

If you spent any time during the 2010’s then you’re probably familiar with the acronym FOMO, and just in case you missed it, here’s what it stands for, Fear of Missing Out.

FOMO, when used in its normal context means that you’re concerned or afraid that you’ll miss out on something exciting and or interesting that’s going to somewhere where you’re not.

So what do you do?

You gather your energy and head off to participate in whatever activity you were afraid that you’d miss. But doing so comes with an opportunity cost. Oh, and if you’re not familiar with opportunity cost, it essentially means that if you’re doing one thing then you can’t do another simultaneously, so you lose the opportunity to so.

So what’s the opportunity cost of pursuing FOMO?

Well, if you dedicate your energy and time towards relieving or in many cases trying to mitigate your FOMO then ultimately that’s less time for you to pursue your own goals. Now if you don’t have any personal goals or things that you want to achieve then, by all means spend your energy as you wish. But, if there are things that you want to accomplish, then perhaps the idea that you can’t or won’t fulfill your own dreams is where the real FOMO should exist.  You should have the fear of missing out on your own dreams.

Now this might sound a little harsh, but the truth is that every second that you don’t dedicate towards fulfilling your own desires is lost forever, so whatever you trade that time for better be worth the opportunity cost.

When you read about or speak to people that are intensely focused on their goals you’ll find that a common theme amongst them is their ability to say no to almost everything that doesn’t lead them closer to the life they want to achieve.

So the next time you’re feeling FOMO creeping up on you perhaps stop and evaluate the sensation for a moment. Reverse the FOMO and ask yourself if the time and energy you’re thinking of spending will move you closer or further away from the life you want.

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