Embrace JOMO over FOMO, Stay Motivated

“Where is Richard nowadays? We don’t see him often these days. He’ll miss out on things.”

“Yeah, Michael, I think his FOMO just lost to JOMO.”

“Now what’s that, Kevin? FOMO and JOMO?”

This article is all about FOMO vs. JOMO. If you have no idea what these two crazy-looking words mean, this small article will be of great help and you can win over your FOMO with JOMO.

FOMO vs. JOMO

FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, is more prevalent than ever these days, thanks to social media and the ever-present fear that there are more, better, and all sorts of things you could be doing at the moment.

Someone once said that life was so much simpler when Apple and Blackberry were just fruits. As much as I want to accept this point of view, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these names (OK, Blackberry bombed, so let's leave it out!) in our lives. The same can be said for Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. It was intended to be a leisure activity for those who are bored or have plenty of time, now has evolved into an essential component of our daily lives. I recall when Orkut was prevalent. Everyone was addicted to it because it was unlike any other online site – sending scraps and typing out feedback for our friends and other novel virtual tasks that gave us a dopamine rush.

We are expected to be social animals as humans, but many of us, particularly millennials, have come to the point where we simply cannot stop equating our lives to the posts of others on social media. While your newlywed friend can't stop posting pictures of her honeymoon, you're struggling to recover from a broken relationship. The cousin posts about his university's first-place finish, and you're hoping that you'll be able to clear all of the arrears that you've appeared for. However, we must understand that no one posts their bad moments or bad hair days on social media (unless they are tagged by somebody else, who, by the way, is looking incredible in the same photo). But that doesn't mean they don't have their fair share. Accepting this reality can help you embrace FOMO's lovely sibling, JOMO – the joy of missing out. This essentially means taking a few steps back to combat the paradox of choice that one encounters in their daily life.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Let me explain with help of an example

So, last night I got two WhatsApp messages. One was from my childhood friend who invited me for a friendly match with a renowned club that was in the city at that time. The second message was from my father who wanted me to drive the family to a place where I always wanted to go.

Both these messages made me jump up and got all excited. Now was the time to decide where I would be the next day. On the football field, or in the car driving away.

Now was the time to make very important, this was hell torturing to make the right decision. A fear of making a wrong decision is real and you know what is it called? FOMO!

What if I played a football match but that trip was a once-in-a-lifetime thing?

What if I went on the trip but that football match was crazy and my footballer came there?

This is when FOMO hits you.

Ways to Enhance JOMO and Win Over FOMO

Unfortunately, this term (JOMO) has not yet entered the Oxford dictionary, but I'm hoping that if more of us adopt this way of life, it will one day. "Joy of missing out" is defined as "a pleasure attained from enjoying one's current activities without feeling worried that other people are living more fulfilled lives."

When I realized how much of my life I was missing out on because of fear, I resolved to practice the opposite: the joy of missing out.

“JOMO is making your inner world happening and important without worrying about the external world.” You can Tweet this line.

Here are six mantras in which I strongly believe.

I began saying them to myself daily, particularly when I began to feel the effects of FOMO. These mantras have assisted me in cultivating genuine joie de vivre. And I'm confident that they can assist you as well:

“I’m the Party House, and Party’s within me”

It's one of my favorite ways to remind myself not to be concerned if I miss out on something. If the party is within you, it means that you can have fun and joy no matter where you are, even if you're lying on the couch at home by yourself. You get to make every moment of your life a party.

“I’m Where I am supposed to be”

When I'd hear myself thinking, "You should be there. "You're missing out," I'd tell myself, reminding myself that I was always where I needed to be. What makes me think that? Because that is where I am right now. That's where I'd be if I had to be somewhere else. So, obviously, I'm destined to be here right now.

What’s Meant for me will not pass me”

Last year, I chose not to attend a large invite-only event in which I had previously participated for years. Big names such as Bezos, Shonda Rhimes, and Brene Brown, to name a few, were in attendance. When my friends called and told me they had enrolled and asked if I was going, my brain said emphatically no. In the past, I would have gone regardless and had a good time, but this time I chose to honor something profound, my soul. And I reminded myself that if an opportunity is intended for me, it will find me since I am honoring myself.

“Disconnect”

When you run a business, you may find yourself becoming overly dependent on technology. Even now, with my JOMO addiction, I have to reassure myself to take a step back. This term serves to remind me to turn off my phone, close my laptop, disconnect from the noise of the world and try to reconnect with myself and the people I care about the most. Every day and on weekends, I use this one around 5 p.m. "Disconnect, Boy," I often think to myself, because I believe we'd all be a lot happier if we did.

“This Life is Mine”

This saying reminds me that I can direct how I spend all my time. I really would like to invest it in the folks, causes, and stuff I care about the most, not in things I'm being pressured to engage with out of fear. I choose to make decisions that energize me rather than drain me. This could simply say "yes" to an event or sit at home with the pups. There is no formula, but you must understand who you are, what matters to you, and what you really want to experience in this entire life.

“Take it Slow”

I am a fast-paced guy. I just loved going fast and soon I realized I was way too fast when I crashed. This made me realize that you have to slow down in life so that I could take time to rethink my decisions. I frequently discuss slowing down because I genuinely think that we all have to pause and take a breather. The intention and energy, on the other hand, can create a sense of slowness. I tell myself this all the time, as a reminder to slow down and enjoy the moment, because what if this is the greatest thing ever, but I don't realize it because I'm rushing through it?

Final Thoughts

JOMO is a solution to FOMO and you must try it so that your life can be the way you want. You are destined to be at a place. It doesn’t matter where you are, you must enjoy the place and leave the worry about other places.

Keep chanting these mantras and you will be golden in life.