by Lisa Luken

FOMO. A reality that most of us frequently encounter. It’s hard to say no to invites from friends, fearing we’ll miss out on the fun. It’s hard to stop scrolling endless feeds fearing we might miss the latest happenings in the world. It’s hard to let information pass us by.  But FOMO (short for fear of missing out) is simply an illusion. If we’re not careful, it will pull us away from the experiences that really matter most in our lives. And if that happens, we’re really missing out-on what truly matters most.

Last year I made the decision to cancel my reservations for two conferences that I’ve attended for the past few years. I absolutely love attending these conferences but several factors contributed to my decision not to attend. During the time the conferences were happening, FOMO kept trying to rear its ugly head and it wasn’t easy to keep it at bay.

Ultimately, I had to stay focused on my reasons why I chose not to attend and I had to keep trusting that saying no to these events was giving me the ability to say yes to more perfectly aligned opportunities that lie ahead. I’ve since won out against FOMO in other ways but fighting the battle of is not easy!

Here are 5 ways I Deal with FOMO:
1. I’ve accepted the fact that I will NEVER know it all. The unknown is hard for most of us. And being able to find out almost anything with the push of a button can leave us feeling discontented if we let it. I’m learning to accept the idea that it’s okay not to know the details of things and there’s significant freedom in that.
2. I’m going deeper, not wider. After casting a wide net in the early years of my business and exploring several areas related to simplifying and organizing, I eventually landed on a few that I really love most. My word of the year, convergence, sums it up pretty well. I love learning new things, but I’ve found that digging deeper rather than wider still fulfills my thirst for new knowledge and ideas and keeps me from experiencing FOMO on the things I choose not to pursue.
3. I’m learning to listen more and use teamwork. Rather than focus on consuming everything by myself, I’m enjoying a “divide and conquer” approach to receiving information and participating in activities. I’ve found sharing information and truly listening to what each other has to share to be more fun than trying to consume it all myself. And I’m enjoying hearing others share their stories about experiences I chose not to participate in.
4. I’m trusting my gut and I’m believing that I will have what I need when I need it. I enjoy the flow of life and I live close to the ocean because of the constant flow of the water. Sometimes the tide is going out and sometimes it’s coming in. I trust that everything in life follows this pattern and that the universe is always working for us.
5. I know that by choosing to say no to something, I am creating space to receive even better, more aligned opportunities. Within a few weeks of canceling my conferences, I was presented with an opportunity to participate in something that was perfectly aligned with what I needed right then. By saying no to the other two conferences, I was able to say yes to this instead.

And I’m grateful that’s not something I had to miss out on.

How do you deal with FOMO?

Lisa Luken, ACC, helps women simplify their lives and discover their bold, brave and beautiful selves in the process. She is a Simple Living Coach & Consultant and offers keynotes, workshops and retreats focusing on getting organized and simplifying.