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While FOMO traps us in infinite wandering, too afraid to close any doors, JOMO invites us to close doors with delight, trusting that what remains is richer.
FOMO to JOMO: A Shift from Fear to Fulfillment
At its core, FOMO stems from a deeply human fear—the fear that life is passing us by, that the world is moving ahead while we remain still. “This is an ancient fear,” says Navyug Mohnot, Stanford-trained Life Design Educator, Certified Coach, and Facilitator. “It is rooted in our evolutionary programming to belong, to never be left behind.” In the modern age, however, it plays out as a never-ending pursuit: the next thing, the next big event, the next door that could open into everything.
But as Mohnot points out, if all things are treated as significant, then nothing truly is. Gary Keller’s The One Thing affirms the power of focus, the discipline of identifying what is most important and letting that guide our choices. Essentialism and Marie Kondo’s mantra of keeping only what “sparks joy” echo the same truth: life gains clarity when it is curated, not crammed.
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Yet Mohnot also reminds us that life is not single-threaded. Drawing from design thinking and the Designing Your Life (DYL) approach, he emphasizes the value of experimentation—prototyping, testing, and exploring multiple paths before committing. “The art,” he explains, “lies in balancing these modes. We need to look far and wide when we are uncertain, but also learn to zero in with confidence when something truly connects.” While FOMO traps us in infinite wandering, too afraid to close any doors, JOMO invites us to close doors with delight, trusting that what remains is richer.
Social media only amplifies FOMO, relentlessly feeding us highlight reels of other people’s lives. Doomscrolling through curated snapshots tricks us into believing we’re always behind. “The antidote,” says Mohnot, “isn’t more scrolling, but more stillness, stepping back to choose consciously rather than consume endlessly.”
There is also great beauty in emptiness. Like a painting needs negative space to breathe, our lives need moments of stillness, spaces not filled with necessity but with presence. Choosing less doesn’t mean missing out; it means valuing fully what we’ve chosen.
This shift is subtle, but profound: from chasing everything out of fear, to embracing what fits out of love. As Mohnot sums it up, “JOMO is not about lack, but about abundance the abundance that comes when we stop scattering ourselves and instead gather ourselves.”
About the Author
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl…Read More
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl… Read More
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Author: News18
