Fears are a necessary evil. Everyone has them, and hardly anyone enjoys them. But one thing is for certain: they can be great learning opportunities.
I’ve got a lot things I’m afraid of. Some are irrational, like my fear of bugs. Some are a little more realistic, like loneliness and rejection. But there’s only one I’m most afraid of.
My biggest fear has become popular around the internet lately — it’s the fear of missing out, or FOMO.
I’m always afraid missed opportunities. Internships, part-time jobs, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities — they always catch my eye. And because of my fear, I have a really hard time saying no.
But what if this leads to an awesome career path?
What if I learn how to design websites from this?
What if….?
My fear of missing out is, ironically, making me miss out.
So the better question might be “what if I don’t take this opportunity?”
What if I turn down this volunteer job so I can fully commit myself to my job?
What if I don’t play beach volleyball this summer so I can spend more time training my puppy?
Rather than focusing on a wide breadth of opportunities, I need to learn to focus on the depth of the opportunities I agree to.
I need to use my fear as a learning opportunity. What am I most afraid of missing out on? Is it the actual opportunity, or is the potential outcome? And if it’s the potential outcome, could I achieve it another way?
Getting to the root of my fear is what will help me grow from it.
I can totally relate to this post. Thank you so much for sharing. “…I need to learn to focus on the depth of the opportunities I agree to.” I’m going to remember this next time an opportunity comes up.
PS – I love your blog name. Dinosaurs are my favorite *heart eye emoji*
Rashae
http://www.abbigaylerashae.com
Thank you so much! I’m glad you were able to get something out of it.
When I had a full time job the idea of being my own boss was terrifying – what if the thing I did wasn’t needed by other people. Now i have Jaxon I’m in the process of setting up my own business around looking after Jaxon and there is demand for it which to me seems a little crazy, do I miss working for someone else? Maybe a little bit some days – would I trade staying home with Jaxon for going back to work? Nope don’t think so. Do I miss out on some experiences because of it? Yes probably but I get the experiences of caring for Jaxon. Like being able to go to the park this afternoon and play on the swings rather than being stuck inside all day.
That sounds amazing! That’s definitely my fear as well–what if people don’t need what I have to offer? So glad you were able to overcome that.
I don’t have so much a fear of missing out, as I do of wondering what if…my husband and I like to imagine all the “what if we had done this….instead of that…”
Yes! So true! I absolutely hate that feeling.
I get MAJOR FOMO too. It’s the worst. It’s something i’ve been working on, putting my needs firsts (Sleeping more, working out, eating well) as opposed to my theoretical “wants” (Stay out late with everyone, Go to drinks after work, say yes ALWAYS)
i get it 😉
I DEFINITELY need to work on putting my needs first. Glad to hear I’m not the only one 🙂
I am all about the “what ifs” if life. What I ultimately look back and see is how well a decision turned out, whether the immediate outcome was bad or good, something I love has almost always come out of it, even if it takes a while.
That’s such a great way to look at it!
I can 100% relate with you! I am constantly going through “what ifs” in my head. Instead of just doing and taking action, I end up spending that time in my head considering.