In 2016, I was 36 years into a successful career as a financial author, podcaster, TV host and speaker. But it seemed like many of my peers were striking gold after creating virtual courses on investing and entrepreneurship.
There were even popular courses on how to build courses. Some were priced for as much as $2,000. I, too, had valuable advice to share. Was I missing out on an obvious financial opportunity? I began to wrestle with some agonizing FOMO — fear of missing out.
Initially, my FOMO sent me down a costly rabbit hole. I purchased website domains, hired pricey marketing “experts.” But after many months, I gave up. I just didn’t enjoy it. I also didn’t want to be responsible for a team of contractors to help me execute on the plan.
But my FOMO didn’t go away.
As I write in my new book, “A Healthy State of Panic,” when fear shows up at a crossroads in your career and financial life, it’s important to face your FOMO. Don’t let it run you over.
What helped me become a millionaire today was listening to the fear and uncovering what it may be saying about what I value and want to protect.
How to not let FOMO rule you
FOMO is a natural occurrence, and it’s in our DNA to compare ourselves to others. But it can evoke a herd mentality where we blindly follow trends.
When FOMO arrives, it’s better to ask yourself: “What is it about this [fill in the blank trend] that’s catching my attention and releasing this fear of missing out?”
I was drawn to the courses trend because it seemed to be a smart way to go directly to consumers and make substantial money. My business had been largely reactive up until that point. I would get a request to speak at an event, and I’d take it. I’d get a call that a brand was interested in working with me, and I would create a proposal.
But this felt like a vulnerable business strategy.
My fear was actually telling me that I wanted to better optimize my time and revenue. I wanted to go straight to my audience and decide the pace,…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply