We live in a very interconnected world.
Millennials are the first generation to be swamped by social media.
We can see other people having all these great experiences in life.
People seem so happy, fulfilled and living life to the fullest!
Their life’s look so great…
Then we look at our lives and wonder what happened…
Somehow our life looks so pale and boring to everyone else on social media.
We get depressed and feel like life is leaving us behind.
We end up with that dreaded infliction…
FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out
Are you infected?
Do you have this dreaded disease?
Here are 7 signs you may be suffering from FOMO
1) You Want To Do Everything And Be Everywhere…
Your jam-packed schedule seems like a great idea, even if your body tells you otherwise (even if you end up with physical and/or mental exhaustion).
Do you feel the need to go to every concert / show, you don’t miss a single party, you attempt to use lots of different social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Whatsapp, Instagram, email, Club House, TikTok, Reddit, etc, etc, <you get the point>).
Trying to do everything and be everywhere will leave you with tons of gray hairs and little time to give your all to the few things that really matter.
Ask yourself “What could happen if I miss this activity?”.
Chances are, most of the time, your answers will be vague and it’s your mind scrambling around, trying to justify useless actions.
2) …but Don't Fully Commit, in Case Something Better Shows Up
Here is a method that a lot of FOMO suffers use for this challenge: the dreaded “Partial Yes”.
This is the person who accepts an invitation or says you’re “interested” on Facebook but is always waiting to see if there is something better.
If something better comes along they simply drop the old event off their schedule (or maybe even just “conveniently” forget about the first event).
That isn’t cool at all.
Do you like it when friends “drop” you when they find something better to do? Why would you do that to others?
Something similar has happened to Millennials when it comes to choosing a career.
For many years, your parents probably told you that you could be anything you wanted to be.
They did it to encourage you, but it could have had a “side effect”.It could have made you a little unsure of which path to follow after high school.
A lifelong commitment to a company or a career isn’t as appealing to Millennials as it is for other generations.
Did you know that 91% of Millennials expect to last no more than three years in the same job?
Even though it sounds scary, saying “yes” or committing to something doesn’t permanently close the door to other options in the future.
There are much better alternatives to keeping one finger on the “eject button” all the time.
3) You Are constantly looking at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp and E-Mail (you get the idea…)
Are you addicted to your smart phone?
Does it seem like it is always in your hand and you are constantly checking to see what you’ve missed?
The first thing you do in the morning when you wake up is to check your phone…
Then you check it again after your shower…
Then you check it again while you're eating your breakfast…
Then you check it again on your commute (hopefully not while you are driving)…
Then you check it again at your job / school…
Again & again & again!!!
You get the idea!
Social media and FOMO go hand in hand.
I can even say that the first one fuels the other.
The more you're exposed to inspiring pictures or articles on how they were made and you totally can too, the higher the risk of feeling a sense of wanting to know about everything and pursue anything that comes your way.
Every once in a while put the phone down and shut down the tabs.
Don’t miss out on what is going on in the present because of FOMO.
4) You Feel Bad When You Miss Out on Something
Sometimes, life happens.
That work deadline is a lot tighter than you thought, or you really can't make it to that party or college alumni get-together.
The next morning, your timelines are filled with pictures and videos of that event or that concert you were so-so about going to.
Then you get that all too familiar feeling in your stomach.
You know the one…
That one where your stomach gets that little knot of regret!
You feel bad for not using a stronger Tetris approach to your schedule to fit in this event.
Or you feel jealous of others having a great time while you were grinding away at work or maybe you binged on Netflix.
But, why do you feel regret?
Is it because you really wanted to go or because you lost a chance for new photos for your Instagram?
Remember that when it comes to almost everything (except probably watching the Halley comet) there are always other opportunities lying ahead.
5) You are Attracted to Experiences
The burden of student debt has put a huge weight on many Millennials.
Many of them aren’t giving too much weight to ownership of things.
Instead, several studies claim they focus more on having experiences: from the big ones, such as backpacking through Europe to the smaller ones, such as going out to that swanky new restaurant in town.
This could be playing with fire…
To have these experiences, many Millennials are playing with fire and using credit cards to pay for those overpriced drinks or overrated tourist attractions.
As if it was a matter of accumulating badges of honor, they run the risk of increasing their debt.
This, combined with the fact that they’re making less money than their parents did, is asking for an uphill battle they might never win.
That doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to something truly special (especially if you have saved up the money to pay for it outright).
The key is to make sure whatever you pick (visiting Japan or trying the latest artisan beer), you’re doing it for the right reasons.
6) You Feel That You Can't Catch up With Everyone Else
A quick glance at your Facebook can make you feel inadequate or unsure of your own path.
Folks are getting married, traveling to amazing destinations, cozying up with bigwigs and even becoming entrepreneurs.
And, meanwhile, you’re at home, having a case of the FOMOs while scrolling down your news feed.
When everyone else seems to have a more amazing life than you, you fall prey to the game of comparisons and jealousy.
This, combined with FOMO, can either give you a big push towards getting what you want or make you feel defeated in the invisible competition that life is.
After all, you never see the behind-the-scenes and the struggles those friends went through to get what they have or at least seem to have.
Everyone (even you!) shows off on Facebook their life’s highlight reel.
Everyone and I mean everyone has struggles in their life.
If you’re going to have FOMO, let it be fear of missing out on your own path, not someone else’s.
Pursuing someone else’s… may end up being not so awesome in real life.
Find your own path in life and go after it.
Don’t spend time FOMOing over someone else’s life.
7) If You Said “YES!” to at Least Two Items of This Post, Congratulations, you have FOMO!!!
If two or more of these items resonate with you…
Congratulations!
You’re suffering from FOMO.
Don’t be confused though...
There is a cure to this feeling.
It does take plenty of discipline and focus on what’s really important!
So even though it may feel like it, you won’t regret on your deathbed not drinking those 10$ cocktails on your credit card.
Start today!
Make the choice to take control of your future and building the life you want.
Make a clear plan and take small actions which can reap benefits in the long term.
By focusing on what you envision, you’ll be able to keep FOMO away… or, at least, in check.
Go from FOMO to actually building the life of your dreams.
Pssst…
Here’s a hint…
It takes hard work, and being persistent & consistent to make it come true.
You can do it! You're worth it!!!
To your success,
- Duane Eberhard
