Do you suffer from FOMO? (Fear of Missing Out) syndrome? It seems to be a big thing now that it has a name/acronym! But in all reality, it has always been around, and it can be stressful and overwhelming. No one, in our industry or any industry, or in personal life wants to miss out on an opportunity or experience others are having. I know several people who attend dozens of conferences a year. Many of these folks tell me they “need” to be there to make sure they are up on the trends and networking with the right folks. Some CSR managers feel they need to accept all the invitations they receive from their partners to attend golf tournaments, galas, and Christmas cocktail parties. They don’t have to be at them all, but they think they might miss out on something if they are not. Unfortunately, we tend to fixate on these situations. Often instead of prioritizing existing projects or responsibilities, (be they work or personal over work), we double up and take on more because we don’t want to miss out on something. We end up overcommitting to things, experiences, or events that we really don’t have time for.
It’s all about the fact that you do not want others (especially a rival, the competition, or if you are trying to keep up with the Joneses) experiencing something important that you will miss. It is “social envy.” The result is ineffectiveness, stress, anxiety, and an overfull calendar.
Often when you FOMO something and change your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out, it disappoints others who you had to cancel a meeting with or confer with. It causes you to miss another opportunity. Again, unfortunately, you are now planning based on FOMO rather than prioritization of goals and objectives.
Overcoming FOMO is not easy. It means prioritizing based on strategy versus FOMO. Keep your head down and stay focused. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Worry about what you need to be doing!
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