Stop the FOMO & Advocate for Yourself

Many of us ambitious, first-gens have serious FOMO - Fear of MISSING OPPORTUNITIES!  We go ABOVE & BEYOND, say YES! to all of the opportunities & often RAISE our hand to do what others don’t want to do. 

How could we not? When you're the first in your family in this country to gain access to opportunities like being educated and working in white-collar professions, somewhere along the journey you've been programmed to think that those opportunities may get taken away. That was probably the lived experience of someone in your family.

Though it makes sense, we have to unlearn that programming and heal from those generational traumas.  Because the truth is, FOMO is NOT helping us GROW.

What often happens is that instead of saying NO, you take on more of the same tasks, not the meaty stretch assignments or strategic projects that give you visibility & real OPPORTUNITY to sharpen your skills, round out your experiences and impress leaders where you work.  Let me offer you a FOMO reframe: 

Here are 3 Ways to Flex Your Advocacy Muscles so that you don't automatically give into FOMO: 

1. SAY NO - 

   Instead of saying yes when being asked to take on more "busy" work, try this:

    "That sounds like a great opportunity. Normally I'd say yes, however, at the moment I'm at capacity. Perhaps, (someone else on your team) can help since they're looking to gain more experience doing XYZ."

    ONLY SAY YES TO WORK THAT WILL GROW YOUR SKILLS & EXPERIENCES.

2. ASK TO BE STRETCHED -  What are some skills, experiences or exposure you need in order to grow to the next level or round out your work portfolio? Think of stretch assignments or projects that are happening within your organization. Then express interest to your leader by sharing how this will help you grow; ask them to support your involvement and connect you to those opportunities.
3. "HELP ME UNDERSTAND" -  Whenever you're unclear about expectations, priorities, process, people's involvement, etc... instead of spending invaluable time trying to figure it out on your own, ask for clarification, guidance & mentorship with this powerful preface statement. 

FOMO only exists within a scarcity mindset.  When you have a growth mindset and believe in abundance, there's no fear of missing out on anything.  So stop the FOMO & let's focus on GROWTH.