FOMO - Fear of Missing Out

Alternative: Fear of Messing Up (which is related to fear)

It's not me, but my ego that has FOMO. I am not my ego!

I was upset because I wasn't invited. But then I realized that because my friend was invited, it wasn't up to my friend to invite me.

A big problem with FOMO is that you are not appreciating the moment you are in or the people you are with.


Consider that the idea of the event you are missing out on is far better than the event itself. Reality rarely lives up to our ideas of it.

The truth about FOMO? The idea of it is far better than it actually is. FOMO is an illusion because if you were really there, you'd discover it is not nearly as good as it was in your mind.

FOMO can really jack up a perfectly happy existence. Society is wired to share the good and bury the bad. Marketers are paid to create an image that drives desire. More often than not, the image oversells what is obtained.

Example: You have FOMO because you didn't get to attend a conference. You found out about it too late. But the idea you have in your mind lacks reality. The conference in is Vegas. You hate Vegas. There will many aspects of it that fail to live up to your expectations. You know feel some resentful for the success that others Tall Poppy Syndrome.

Instead: Look at FOMO as an indication to widen your view. Zoom out. Sometimes it's better to do nothing.


FOMO - Maybe it’s more prevalent in the USA because we are conditioned to do be and have more. To drop the idea that more is better, in fact… more can often be worse… you can begin to rid yourself of the FOMO disease.

The cost of indecision is FOMO. Make a decision and flip your FOMO into a commitment.

Dedication, Determination, and Commitment is a FOMO buster.


Trade in your FOMO for JOMO (Joy of Missing Out).

JOMO is the other side of FOMO. JOMO is gratitude for where you are right here, right now.


Fear of missing out is a form of malware.

This was a bug in my program for many years.

I would really get hung up and in a funk whenever I missed out on something. Anytime you want to feel FOMO, login to Facebook. Has Facebook become an obstacle to living in the now?

My breakthrough yesterday was that while I was not at a music/yoga festival I'm sure would have been fun, I was enjoying the amazing day on the coast. I went for a bike ride which contained a few peak experiences (the beauty was awe inspiring).

Keeping myself occupied with other experiences was key.

I also did not judge one experience as better than another. They simply were experiences.

I didn't kick myself for failing to decide sooner (the event sold out a few days prior). In fact, my indecision turned into a no go decision as the event began and I was not there. The label of indecision was actually one of no. By keeping your options open, you are setting yourself up for FOMO.

Keeping your options open = missed opportunities

One key difference in the way a program functions is that it's doesn't challenge it's purpose. It was written to perform a function. If it observed another program written to perform a different function, it wouldn't question it's own purpose. In fact, it would indicate a bug in the program if the running of another program somehow created a slow down (or a conflict) in it's own program.

What happens over there need not impact what happens here.

By beating myself up for 'missing out' on an experience, I miss the experience of here and now.

In the past, I'd beat myself for being a cheap ass for missing out on a peak experience. But in the Wireframed model, I accept that my program didn't intend for me to go to the event. My indecision was a decision to not go and I didn't second guess it.

The Banach–Tarski Paradox shows me that while I missed out on an event last night, there are infinite other opportunities to fill my awareness.

The point? There are infinite possibilities at any point in time. It's not until you decide to act that infinite possibilities collapse.

Missed opportunities

Missed opportunities often stem from keeping our options open. FOMO is a common culprit to indecision.

What FOMO really means

If you have FOMO, this might be a bitter pill. But I'm gonna say it anyway.

True FOMO reflects dissatisfaction with the life you have. The more time you spend thinking about being somewhere else, the more you miss out on the hear and now (JOMO).

It may be because you don't have enough significant events in your own life. I'll admit, I was there. And I slip back there sometimes. When other people lives are more interesting that your own, you give FOMO fertile ground to grow.

The people who are at the events you have FOMO for aren't idle enough to let FOMO grow.

The way to kill FOMO is to fill your calendar with significance.

Do you have a FOMO for life?