FOMO, Harvard and Your Real Potential

All of us struggle with "FOMO" on some level. It's the "Fear Of Missing Out." We fear by doing one thing – we're missing out on doing something else. Maybe missing our highest potential. Missing our calling. Our thing. My friend Chuck, president of an excellent organization called At Work On Purpose, shared something last night that says, FOMO of our life work is a big deal! Even for Harvard grads! Chuck had recently attended his 30th reunion from Harvard. Of course, there was all the typical cocktail parties, dinners and football game. But what most surprised Chuck: A packed out seminar for grads with the title: "The Mortification of My Ambition: What to Do When You're Not Secretary of State by Age 40." LOL, right? "It was packed out!" said Chuck. "I guess there was a lot of my classmates wondering if their lives were meaningful." For those of us who didn't attend Harvard, a couple of definitions. Mortification: noun "great embarrassment and shame." "the action of subduing one's desires." Ambition: noun "a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination or hard work." All to say, there's a lot of people out there, Harvard educated included, who ask,

• "Do I need to subdue my desires at this point in my life?"

• "Did I miss out?"

• "Am I an embarrassment in what I've done with my life by this age?"

Well, apparently we all can't be secretary of state by age 40. But, there are four questions to help keep us from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) 1. What's NOT a realistic ambition for me? Did you get some idea of success from a parent, or culture? A sibling? For me, I thought I should be president of the US when I "grew up." Well, not realistic or what I most care about. Let that one get "mortified! 2. What have I already accomplished that I'm most proud of? Sometimes we forget all we have in a rush to get more. There are clues in that. 3. What ambitions still live inside me that may still be "my thing?" What's just not going away? What does that mean? 4. What can I do to fan the flame of that "good ambition" while there's still time? Not all ambition is evil or unworthy of your best efforts, energy, and investment. You've just got to know the difference. Or as Harvard would put it, the "Veritas." (truth) Don't die to the good ambitions. They matter! Jeff PS. There are still openings to do a complimentary "Big Shift." Get clarity and identify your way forward. Link: https://my.timetrade.com/book/NBPKQ