Fear Of Missing Out Vs Joy Of Missing Out

Kritleen Kaur
Jul 11, 2019 • 24 views

“FOMO (fear of missing out) is the enemy of valuing your own time.” Andrew Yang

The moment we start thinking that we can handle a couple more tasks just because our schedule isn’t that jam-packed yet, newsflash my friend, it’s FOMO. We’d rather do something we don’t even really want to do because everyone else is doing it. Or because we have been repeatedly told by our elders that it’s something everybody ought to do. Let’s face it, we’ve all experienced that sort of brainwashing at some point in time. And its effect? FOMO. Fear Of Missing Out.

Maybe your friends are taking the course. That doesn’t mean it would be good for you too. Come to think of it, it might not even be of interest to them in the first place. Maybe they’re just doing it because the fee is non-refundable, or they got a referral discount, or just for the sake of how pleasant it will look on their CV. You find yourself agreeing with them.

But consider, what if you opt to miss out on it. I repeat you opt to miss out. And a month later, the course is available for free, or mayhap, it’s so useless that all your friends are dropping out too. And meanwhile, you polished your skills, or aced a competition, or completed a project. Who’s the winner of this round?

Commitments tie your time down to one object, person, place or event. But you knew that already. And we know that there are only 24 hours in a day, no matter what we do. So, escaping FOMO is, in a word, impossible. Because you just can’t be everywhere, or do everything, or be with everyone, at the same time. That’s the hard truth.

“No matter what you do or where you are, you're going to be missing out on something.” Alan Arkin

Now what?

If we can’t escape FOMO, (Because even if we don’t know what exactly it is that we’re missing out on, we’re missing out. Hence, FOMO.) then how do we deal with it?

Start thinking that we’re happy. Fake it till you make it. JOMO, Joy Of Missing Out. If I’m going to miss out, I’d rather do it with a smile on my face.(Frowning will give me wrinkles. I abhor wrinkles.) The Fox Who Couldn’t Reach The Sour Grapes had a valid point. If I can’t have the grapes, they must be sour. I don’t want them anyway.

So yeah, JOMO all the way.

“There was something missing. But in my world, there is never time to figure out what is, in fact, missing.” Jeff Fisher

Do you always want to be like that jigsaw puzzle with a lost piece (Yes, the one from your childhood) or do you want to feel complete? Totally up to you. Here’s to hoping you figure it out. I’m rooting for you!