Better Than FOMO

Scroll through social media and you're quickly confronted with all the posts and photos of races people are running.

They all look so amazing…and you’re missing out.

Everyone else is running the races, traveling to the places, and doing the things you want to do - except you.

You may not want to feel the inevitable FOMO, but you should.

It’s there for a fantastic reason - it’s pointing the way to the amazing life you want.

FOMO is meant to grab your attention, shake you, and get you moving toward that life.

Here are three steps to uncover where its pointing you.

Start with the past - why are you missing out?

At some point, you made a decision to do or not do something.

Is that still valid?

Do you want to change it?

I looked at my 14-year old dog, Buddy Love, and made a decision to take the summer mostly off from races. Spending a week in a kennel is hard on him and I’d rather keep him comfortable and healthy at home.

That, and I’m working on a few projects I want to complete in the next two months.

Remembering the reasons behind my decision brings me back to peace. Time off from races is still the right decision for me, so I’m not changing it.

But you might have decided years ago you can’t run mountain races, and it’s time to change that decision.

Second, appreciate where you are and what you have - now, in the present.

What seems ordinary to you but others might think is enviable? Like your home gym setup, a flexible work schedule that allows a picnic lunch every day, or miles of nearby, first-class trails you can run any day of the week?

What do the people you envy have that you already do too? Like, the same hours in a day, moon and stars, and potential for adventure.

What non-Instagram-able stuff do you have in abundance - like love and being loved?

Not all the grass in someone else’s life is greener. Yours has lush green too.

Look for the green you want to keep.

Third, look at the future.

Exactly what is it about those social media posts you envy?

Look closely. Do you envy what they’re doing, who they’re doing it with, or the fun they’re having?

They may be doing something you don’t actually want to do, like a road marathon, but it’s in a beautiful place you’ve always wanted to go, they’ve made it into a running friends weekend, or they’re trying new races like you want to do.

And you may not want to run the same 200-mile race as someone else but you do feel the pull of a bigger challenge.

Use what you want to add to your life, along with what you want to keep from past and present, to design your FOMO-free future.

Oh, and one last tip - celebrate the other people doing what you want to do, because seeing them do it actually makes it more real and possible for you.

If you’re ready to create the life you want instead of thinking about it, don’t wait. Life is now.

If it seems daunting and you want support to make it happen, I’m here to help.

We can map out the changes you want to make.

Clear away blind spots and old beliefs in your way.

And make relentless forward progress to get the running life you want.