5 Hard Truths How FOMO Keeps You Stuck, According to a Personal Coach
How far will you FOMO?
Summary: FOMO (fear of missing out) doesn't just spark fleeting anxiety—it can have lasting effects on your self-esteem, sense of direction, and motivation to build the life you truly desire. Discover five surprising ways FOMO might be holding you back and how to reclaim control of this inner limit.
Are you fearful you’re missing out on what others are doing? Does your fear make you second guess the path in front of you to instead follow the path of others?
Although fear is an inner limit to overcome, this particular fear prevents you from expanding into your Best Self. Learn five ways FOMO is the ultimate negative feedback loop that keeps you feeling stuck.
What is FOMO?
FOMO, or fear-of-missing-out, is a type of anxiety that an interesting event is happening elsewhere. Cultural pressures, social influencing and comparison cause many people to experience FOMO. This anxiety has us asking, “Should I be doing that too?”
No. No, you don’t.
Here’s 5 surprising ways FOMO holds you back from what you want.
Others' decisions drive FOMO
When you live with FOMO, everyone else's interests come first. It’s as if you wake up in the morning and run out of the front door with your pajamas on and ask, “What should I be doing today?”
To live on the whims of others, you’ll limit the growth towards your purpose. You'll also find it difficult to align to the happiness that’s possible for you.
FOMO is an excuse, a quick fix, to avoid the deeper work
It’s a get-out-of-responsibility-for-your-life card. It’s your #1 excuse not to do the courageous thing that you know you need to do. FOMO gives you permission to delay, defer, avoid, and ignore what’s important for you.
Across time, avoidance takes a huge toll on your self-confidence. Your self-esteem lowers, creating a habit of second-guessing yourself.
FOMO doubles down on your limiting belief to not trusting yourself
People with high self-esteem have less FOMO because they can go with or against the pull from others.
Not trusting yourself and experiencing FOMO is a negative feedback loop. Less trust...more fear...with more fear, more FOMO and so on. You may find yourself in a pattern of always feeling like you're at a crossroads and not quite where you want to be.
FOMO is fragile belonging
When you act out of FOMO, you step further away from your own independence. Bruised egos, Seinfeldian slights, and hurt feelings come with the territory here. On the outside, it may seem like you belong, but internally you may feel isolated.
FOMO chases what you don’t have, forever
FOMO creates more FOMO, bigger FOMO so much so that you won’t be able to enjoy what you have. FOMO creates an inner fear monster that will never feel satisfied.
Regain control with this strategy
Now that you’ve learned five ways FOMO holds you back, ask yourself this key question.
How does FOMO align to my Best Self?
If you experience FOMO, you’re right about one thing. You are missing out…on your own Best Life.
If you want help overcoming inner limits and fears, I’d love to help give you instant feedback. Book time on our calendars for a clarity call or subscribe for more strategies like this each week. Subscribe here.
