JOMO over FOMO. 🙌🏽
For so long I was living in FOMO and then one day I chose JOMO, and my life has never been better.
Today, I'm building a global brand and business, because I tossed out my FOMO.💯
I posted a status update on my WhatsApp and everyone started asking what exactly JOMO means...The first time I stumbled on the term "JOMO" was through a graphic image by Brene Brown.
See, JOMO actually stands for the "Joy Of Missing Out", while FOMO is the Fear Of Missing Out.
Which many people (including myself) use in operating. Embracing JOMO was first difficult because, in truth, I like "Knowing". I like being in the know, and so do many other people.
We spend so much time trying to gather information and opportunities that don't necessarily benefit us just because we are afraid of missing out. We surround ourselves with people and content we don't like and say YES to things that we should say no to.
We get caught up in trouble, having more friends request than we desire, more demands than we can supply, more clientsthan we can handle, more lovers than we can manage. More drama than we need.
So I realized that to become highly productive, I needed to cut myself away from things and people that aren't necessarily serving me. Painful but necessary.
I suddenly realize that I don't need to know everything happening in the world, see everything or be everywhere. BAM!
I don't have to hear IT first, be on top of the news. Or even be in the news myself, if it's not necessary.
I can enjoy not knowing what's going on social media, who is subbing who, fighting who, dating who or what's trending. I'm not even ashamed to not know there is war in Baghdad or that President Donald Trump has said something "Shit-hole" once again on Twitter. I'm protecting my mind.
It's even okay for people to think that with all my brilliance I seem to live under a rock because I do not know where the hottest night club is. Its JOMO baby.
How can I be in the entertainment industry and I don't attend industry events? It's called JOMO.
I'm simply relishing the *Joy Of Missing Out* so I can be productive in areas I can control.
I save that time and invest it in my goals and dreams because we pay for a lot of things with our time than we pay with actual money. Check!
I'm saying a lot more, "No thank you...Maybe some other time, please..." and not feeling any kind of regret. It doesn't matter if I lose follower counts BECAUSE I'm not posting my wins every single day or that my admirers look somewhere else at the next yellow sisi. Bleh!!! It's JOMO.
And I'm certainly not afraid to lose an opportunity for the sake of my peace and sanity.
Did I miss this one? Yikes - It's okay, maybe the next one. Maybe, next time. We ain't crying over spilled milk and we ain't forcing things anymore.
I'm responding to emails and messages at my own time when I can. Not anymore like a customer service robot on a 24/7 call.
"Good Morning"...If I want I can respond.. And if I can't, "I'll respond with "Good Afternoon" when I can. Please understand, I'm busy.
If I can't make the meeting, I will apologise and reschedule and if they don't want to. Goodluck and BYE!!! Jomo, baby!
What if I meet someone amazing in the future...Wait! What if I don't?! Whew!
Well, I'm not ruining today because of what I'm afraid I may miss out on tomorrow. Naaaaah!
"Once you embrace the 'Joy of Missing Out', you create space to BE and Experience the things in your life, that truly matter. After all, we are not *Human Doings*, we are Human Beings... so please, Just let me BE."
- Alex Okoroji
I'm just generally not allowing "my curiosity" of what could be or my fear of being sidelined, interrupt or disrupt my life any further.
In what ways are you currently operating in FOMO? What are the things YOU need to cut back on, cut out or perhaps review in other to be more productive? Feel free to consider & share this article with those you love.
To Your Greatness,
Stay Authentic & Keep Winning!
- Alex Okoroji