Hey there, welcome to Productivity Hacks, your go-to podcast for purposeful productivity. I’m Jasmine, your host, executive coach and fellow business owner, and my mission is to help mums who are growing both a business and a family find simple solutions to calm the chaos. Each week, I’ll bring you short, actionable episodes packed with tips you can implement right away to boost your productivity, create balance that works for you and your family, and protect your boundaries. So let’s dive in. Hey guys, welcome to today’s Productivity Hacks podcast. Thank you so much to all my new listeners. You are blowing me away with the feedback and I am so, so encouraged that this is helping you and I hope that it will continue to. Although I’m creating this with mums who run a business in mind, I’m getting so many messages from those of you that don’t fall into this category Men, women, working mums in corporate, those who are retired but it’s still helping and I’m so, so pleased. So I salute you, whoever you are, and I hope this episode helps you. Speaker 1: 1:10 So last time I spoke about climbing a mountain with baby steps and how each step brings you closer to your goal. I encouraged you to define your mountain, your where, to figure out your why. Why do you want to get to that mountain. Why is that your mountain? And break down your what the tasks then the most important was committing to your when? When are you going to do those tasks? Today’s topic is one of the main things that can put you off course when you’re building a business, when you’re going for your goal, when you’re climbing your mountain, and that is FOMO fear of missing out. I feel incredibly lucky that my natural single-mindedness and focus means that I haven’t really struggled much with FOMO. I always say I have more FOMS fear of missing sleep than FOMO. I’m never one to stay up late if it means missing out on a good night’s sleep. Speaker 1: 2:08 From a young age I never really followed the crowd. I didn’t feel the need to do something just because others were doing it. I didn’t ever do something unless I wanted to do it and I could see the benefit, and I’ve never been afraid of walking a path that no one else is benefit, and I’ve never been afraid of walking a path that no one else is. If I wanted to do it, I just set off walking, and I am sure my nearest and dearest can attest to this. I’m still very much like this and I think it’s one of the things that has helped me so much in achieving what I set out to achieve. I decide what I want to do. I make a plan. I ignore anyone who says do it this way Unless they’re experts because I do listen and I take on what I want to. Speaker 1: 2:50 I love to learn from others. I think there’s a lot of efficiency in learning from what others have done. That’s why I love to read, because it is downloading people’s entire brains into one book that I can digest in a few hours. I think it’s incredibly efficient. So I learn all I can and then I walk with a single-minded focus until I reach that goal, one baby step at a time. So take this podcast. I didn’t know how to do it a month ago. I learned step by step. I learned how to record the importance of audio quality. I bought a reasonably priced but a very well recommended mic. I did my research. I learned how to edit with plenty of internet searches, youtube videos and screams. At the computer, I found music. I learned how to change the volume. I worked out how to get my podcast out into the world. I chose my mountain, my where. Then I climbed it, one baby step at a time with real steely focus. Speaker 1: 3:47 However, there have been times, particularly in the last year, when I’ve had that FOMO and I felt lost with my business. So, as a woman approaching 40, my kids are well into primary school, don’t need me quite as much, but still need me quite a lot I feel like my youth has definitely left the building and I’ve been assessing my life. Is it a success so far? Could I have done things differently? Could I have done more? Where am I even going? And, as someone who’s always looking to the future and looking to what’s next, it’s really easy to forget what I’ve achieved. I looked around at others who are in my world, who are doing things better than me, faster than me, earning more than me. Their family looks happier, they’re going on nicer holidays, they’re wearing nicer clothes, and I got sucked into that feeling that I was doing things wrong. My path clearly isn’t as good as theirs. I need to change my mountain and walk up theirs. I need to step off my pathway because theirs is definitely better. Does this resonate with you? Please tell me. I am not the only one to think like this. Speaker 1: 4:57 I allowed this to derail my thoughts and I spent about six months without my focus and, to be honest, without my sparkle. This changed only in the last four weeks. I had a door that was open for me with a wonderful opportunity that I wanted to do. It promised a great future, good prospects, immediate income, which we need as a family. I could do the role and enjoy it, and they even adapted the role for me, so I accepted it. Speaker 1: 5:25 But then in the week that followed, there was a bit of a dullness in my life, a sense that something was off. Things that used to be incredibly funny were a little less funny than they were. Life felt a little less joy-filled. Wasn’t anything major, anything major? It just felt a bit off. I was walking towards a mountain. That wasn’t where I wanted to go. I was walking a path that wasn’t for me. Speaker 1: 5:50 I had a moment of real clarity and suddenly thought this isn’t your mountain jazz, and I turned down the roll with my tail between my legs a little bit, but immediately it was like the world came into colour again. Do you know that feeling the one when you’re walking on your right path and the world becomes vibrant, exciting? I felt amazing, just like I’d had a super juice, kale smoothie and my body was singing. Now, if I was the type to drink kale smoothies, then I imagine that’s how you would feel. If you are the type to drink kale smoothies, please let me know. Am I on the right track? My husband even commented how great it was to see my sparkle back. So fear of missing out almost took me off in an entirely different direction. I wouldn’t have even had this podcast if I’d continued walking it. But my moment of clarity gave me the courage to step back onto my own path and I’ve spent some time defining my mountain, my where, refocusing on my why, and now I’m working through my what and my when, and be sure to listen to episode two if you need to work through your where, why, what and when. Speaker 1: 7:03 Fear of missing out is a really dangerous thing. Fomo is a dangerous thing In business. With social media, we can see how our competitors are doing. We can see new trends, the shiny new opportunities everywhere. These things look exciting and they could be really great things to do. But often FOMO means we make spur-of-the-moment decisions to change our path without really thinking about it. There are deeper psychological roots of FOMO at its core. Fomo taps into some of our deep-seated human emotions and survival instincts. As social beings, we naturally want to belong, to be part of the tribe, and back in ancient times, being left out could literally be a threat to survival. Speaker 1: 7:46 Now that same fear plays out in a really different way, especially in today’s hyper-connected world where we constantly see what others are doing. We get comparison overload. We all know that feeling Scrolling doom, scrolling through social media, seeing another business owner who seems to have it all together They’ve just launched a new product, they’ve reached 10,000 followers or they’ve just booked that fancy client. You start to wonder am I falling behind? Should I be doing more? And this constant comparison makes you feel like you’re missing out on success. You forget that everyone’s journey looks different and that what works for them might not align with your goals. The result Anxiety, self-doubt and feeling like you need to chase every trend to keep up. Speaker 1: 8:35 We have a fear of making the wrong decision. As a business-owning mum, you’re already juggling so many responsibilities home, kids, business but when FOMO kicks in, you feel like you have to say yes to every opportunity. You have a fear that you’ll make the wrong move, missing out on that magic bullet that could grow your business. And at the root of FOMO is often a scarcity mindset, the belief that there’s not enough to go around, whether that’s clients, opportunities or success. So when you see someone else thriving, it can make you feel like your chances are slipping away. You start to think if I don’t act fast, someone else will take my spot. This mindset can be particularly strong when you’re balancing family life with business growth, because you’re already working with a limited time and energy. So the idea that opportunities are limited feels even more real, and that scarcity mindset fuels the anxiety of missing out, making it harder to focus on your unique path. Speaker 1: 9:34 And FOMO pushes us more into that cycle of constant busyness. Because FOMO keeps telling you that you need to be everywhere and do everything, it traps you in a cycle. You fill your calendar with webinars, events and new strategies that might not even align with your goals, all because you don’t want to miss out. And the problem is busyness isn’t the same as productivity. The cycle of overcommitment leaves you drained and frustrated, feeling like you’re working non-stop but not moving forward in the way that you want to. So, in a nutshell, fomo is not your friend. It results in a lack of focus when you’re chasing every new opportunity or strategy, spreading yourself too thin. It drains your energy. Constantly saying yes to everything because you’re afraid of missing out leads to burnout, it hurts your productivity, it stops you from committing to a plan or strategy long enough to see results, and the constant switching reduces momentum and progress and it damages your confidence. Speaker 1: 10:35 Comparison is a major part of FOMO. Seeing what others are doing can make you feel like you’re falling behind, even when you’re actually on the right path for you. So you need to replace it. Instead of FOMO, you need to get yourself some FOMM Fear of missing myself, my destiny, my opportunities, my impact on the world and my ability to change someone else’s world. Replace FOMO with FOMM, even if it doesn’t drip off the tongue quite as well. So a few tips about how to get more FOMM. Speaker 1: 11:11 Number one set clear goals and priorities. Get crystal clear on what you want to achieve. Define your where, your mountain. When you know your goals, it’s easier to say no to distractions that don’t align with them. Number two focus on your unique journey. Remind yourself that everyone’s business path is different. What works for someone else might not be what’s best for you. There is beauty in walking a different path, finding somewhere others haven’t gone, or taking a different route with a different view. Number three limit your inputs. Put your blinkers on, so reduce the noise and follow accounts or groups that make you feel anxious or inferior. Curate your feeds to show content that inspires and aligns with your goals. Speaker 1: 11:57 Be like a horse with its blinkers on. With a horse, the blinkers shut off the peripheral vision so that they can only look forward. This means that they can concentrate more on the ground, the fences, the hurdles, the things that are directly in front of them. If a horse is easily distracted by its surroundings, then blinkers can act as a vital piece of safety equipment. So put on your vital piece of safety equipment and look forwards. Speaker 1: 12:22 Practice saying no. That’s number four Not every opportunity is right for you. Practice turning down offers, events or strategies that don’t move you towards your specific goals. I sometimes joke that my default is no, but to be honest it is. I sometimes joke that my default is no, but to be honest it is. A good friend recently offered me a fun kind of business-ish opportunity and I just didn’t fancy it. I knew I didn’t have the time really and it wasn’t really aligned with where I’m going and my goals and I’m feeling really focused at the moment, so I said no. This friend spoke to me about it afterwards as she was a bit not upset, but she did want me to say yes. She’d said the same thing to her husband and his response was, of course, she said no. She’s focused on what is right for her business, and this husband has never even met me. So it seems like my single-minded focus is definitely a defining characteristic. Number five is celebrate small wins. Speaker 1: 13:24 Fomo often makes you overlook your own achievements, like it did with me earlier. Take the time to celebrate your progress, however small, to build confidence, to build momentum. Fomo fear of missing out distracts, drains and derails business owners. It is damaging in so many ways. You can create more FOMM fear of missing myself in your life by setting clear goals, reducing comparison and focusing on your own journey. So this is the point that I pass things back to you. Speaker 1: 13:57 Take a moment now to reflect on where FOMO might be holding you back. Where has it taken you? That is not your path. Please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook I’m Jasmine Clark-Coach on there and just send me a message. Let me stand with you when FOMO raises its ugly head and help you find more FOMM. Focus on yourself, your impact, your vision, be the best you you can be and walk the best path, designed for your feet only. Speaker 1: 14:25 So next week I’m getting all practical and I’m going to be sharing my top tips for taming the beast that is your email inbox. And remember, if you are craving that home workspace to be more productive, download my free guide to help you do just that. There is a link in the show notes. I head to my socials, jasmine Clark Coach, to download it. Have a great week, keep going. You are doing a great job. That’s it for today. Thank you for tuning into the Productivity Hacks podcast with me, jasmine. What is your action point today? Write it down and make time to do it. If you like what you’ve heard, follow this podcast to get notifications of the weekly episodes and please, please, share it with your friends.