FOMO Made Me Do It

Do you have FOMO — the Fear Of Missing Out?
Symptoms: Jealousy, longing and chronic wallowing.
Common Causes: Other people are doing what you want to do. An opportunity is slipping away. Your ship has not come in.

FOMO doesn’t have to be debilitating. In fact, FOMO can push you to act when it really counts.

For example, I want to be a better surfer — aaaand I want my training to be easy and a bit indulgent. I’d like to stay in a beautiful casita in Baja where surf lessons are followed by yoga, massage, dinner and dancing. This is clearly my ideal learning environment! Recently I noticed that the surf camp of my dreams — Las Olas Surf Safaris — received a lot of great media coverage. I started to worry that spots would sell out. FOMO forced its way in and made me pull the trigger.

When a dream is threatened, you might realize just how important it is.

I have dozens of dreams floating around me. When one starts to fade, FOMO can scare the crap out of me — kicking me into action. And action brings adventure. FOMO took me on a South African safari, pushed me out of an airplane at 13,000 feet, purchased Sixto Rodriguez concert tickets and booked a trip to Paris for the fall. I didn’t always have the money or means for these dreams, but I knew that letting them pass would cost me even more.

I don’t usually encourage people to take action out of fear, but this particular prescription is different. FOMO helps you to focus on WHAT YOU ALREADY LOVE, how badly you want it and what you’ll do to get it. A little FOMO mojo helped me to commit. And once committed, I was motivated to find a way to make things happen. This is how you can transform fear into fuel.

Do you want to live a big life? Start by noticing which of your dreams are slipping away. What would it feel like if you did not try? Crappy? Good. FOMO has been activated. Now take one step toward your dream. It’s not too late.

MORE THIRST AID

If you’re feeling stuck and want to make kickass things happen in your life, sign up for DAMN THIRSTY ADVENTURE CAMP!  Susan Honnell and I have pulled together our favorite adventures and packed them into a beach house in Cayucos, CA. There will be equus coaching with Koelle Simpson at North Star Ranch, beach yoga, hiking and more coaching! There will also be wine. Come camp it up with us Sept 12-15!