I was wrong three days ago

Back then I told you the ONE reason for lacking self-control being the conflict between your executive and intuitive mind. However, I discovered another great factor in the endless pursuit:

FOMO (fear of missing out), the nagging feeling that something else is always better than your current experience. Thus you keep scrolling in anticipation.

Whether it is greener grass, magic pills, or illuminating mirages, this ambient anxiety of FOMO is not a good long-term strategy. Below are three different ways of counteracting it:

You are always missing out – be happy for it

There are a billion and one events in the world that you cannot attend at the same time, no matter how hard you try. Ever tried watching four different Youtube videos simultaneously while both eating ice cream and having a meaningful conversation?

Ultimately you have to prioritize.

You have to let go of the fantasies that all other options are 100% unquestionably great. Everything in life will be dull if you have too high expectations of everything and focus only on the flaws.

But what if there is something better and you have not found it yet?

If you are not fully present, you are always wasting time

We have to redirect the fear of wasting time to something more serving. Instead of “There is something better out there,” we have to think, “I am not fully here and now, help, the precious seconds are slipping!” Imagine that every second is a gift, and you are just throwing them away without taking full advantage of them.

Now is the best time and ONLY time you have. Either exploit it or lose it.

Commit and let the natural next thing emerge

It is much better to fully commit to what you are going to do than looking around. Remember that if you do good work and enjoy life, opportunities will find you. You do not need to be on the hunt for them.

So when you are finished with this article and get back to scrolling, try to accept that doom-scrolling is the best thing you can do right now. After all, your intuitive mind likes it since you do it.

Take pride in your doom-scrolling for 1 minute, no judgment…

… and then watch yourself automatically doing the originally planned task, without effort. The conflict is solved.