205: FOMO

FOMO

It must be pretty widespread to have its own acronym. I’m talking about FOMO, the fear of missing out.

Missing out on what? Anything. You name it. Not having the latest smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device. Not getting in on the prelaunch of a marketing guru’s latest course or product. Missing the deadline for that VIP membership site; hey, who knows when or if it will open again?

We’ve all experienced the fear of missing out to some degree in our lives. After all, this is the digital age when shiny objects pop up out of thin air 24/7 to taunt and entice us.

This episode explores three ways that FOMO can show up to influence our emotions and our actions:

• SHOPPING Fear of Missing Out – This is the classic shiny object syndrome. Usually, this kind of fear stalks us online. We get hooked by an “irresistible offer” for a digital product or course. Can be expensive, but it’s fairly harmless.
• OVERWHELM – This is the fear that constantly reminds us that we “don’t have enough time” to do everything we have to do. It leads us to multitasking, which is a false story about getting things done. Multitasking does not make us more productive; it just robs us of our focus.
• RELATIONSHIP FOMO – This fear is also related to time. Its narrative is that we had better choose a life partner before it’s too late. Many women fall prey to this prompted by the ticking of their biological clocks. The choose less that ideal mates out of fear of remaining barren and alone. Their choices can sometimes lead to a lot of pain and suffering.

The episode also contains a special bonus – an exercise that will prove to you that multitasking is a lie. This easy fun game will also liberate you and instantly make you more productive.

I learned this exercise from a world class marketer, Dean Jackson.

Listen, learn, grow, and prosper.