Fun fact: I don’t watch TV. Nor do I need a couch.
Yes that includes Netflix, and I’m fully aware of the fact that I’m the only one among my mates who doesn’t watch TV. Not the only one among the whole generation I guess.
The funny thing is, they do discuss trending shows when we hang out but guess what? I never feel like missing out no matter how good those shows seem to be (#sexeducation #strangerthings) . I also don’t feel like missing out by not participating in the conversation.
How do I do that?
I think I just don’t care.
Like I think watching TV is a complete waste of time and this belief is so engrained in my mind that it has become my value and nothing can really change it.
As in, I don’t consider watching TV my source of entertainment and I treasure my time so much that I don’t need to seek activities to “kill” it.
That being said, we still need to address the issue that FOMO is a real thing. I do have it too. Just on other areas.
Fine, I watch YouTube, I procrastinate too but watching TV is just not my thing.
So how do you overcome FOMO, fear of missing out, on anything?
I get that. It’s impossible for you to delete the Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram apps.
what is fomo?
I fear I might miss out important information so I googled the definition up:
fearing of missing out, or FOMO, is a kind of social anxiety that indicates a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing because others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent.
Now there is one interesting summary of FOMO regarding time: the fear of having made the wrong decision on how to spend time since one “can imagine how things could be different”.
That leads to 2 questions:
1 why do we assume that others might be “living the best of their lives” while we aren’t?
2 who sets the bar of living a “good” or “rewarding” life?
why do we assume that others might be "living the best of their lives" while we aren't?
I think it comes down to boredom, dissatisfaction, unhappiness and confusion. About life and in the current stage of life. That’s why we look for “inspiration” – which leads to mindless social media scrolling, which leads to more unhappiness and frustration because people only show their “best lives” online and you are comparing your frustration stage of sulking at home to someone enjoying a good tan on Bondi Beach.
Why do we even bother checking out people’s lives we don’t know?
You are you. You should go talk to yourself, explore fun things and new hobbies that you enjoy doing, which might eventually become your business one day. Who knows?
Time is ticking.
who sets the bar of living a "good" or "rewarding" life?
Let’s think about this:
What is your definition of living a rewarding and satisfying life?
For me, it’s all about music and helping others. Coming from a commercial background I can tell you, spending that paycheck on the latest Gucci handbag sounds cool, but I didn’t have that satisfaction when I wore it. On the other hand, knowing someone felt better because of my music is a lot more rewarding. That’s why I devote all my time on that.
For you, it might be working somewhere you absolutely love, surrounded by kids, gardening…
If you know what you want and you put the work on it to make it reality, why do you even care what others are doing, or what the society tells you that you should be doing?
Focus on your goals.
DO THE DAMN THING.
So the second problem is solved – no one tells you what to do. It’s your life, on your term.
You only have one life to live. Spending time sulking, feeling frustrated, comparing with others won’t get you anywhere. But if you start investing time on the things you love doing, and be super focused on putting your creativity in good use, I can guarantee that the result will be super rewarding. You won’t even think of what others are doing because you are enjoying life already. You are in the moment. Who cares about “missing out” other people’s lives?
Questions for you today:
1 Do you say yes to everything due to the fear of missing out?
2 What is your passion project that you will lose track of time when you’re so focused on it?
x
Venus