FOMO

In today's time, there is Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is everywhere from the stock market to the vacation in Maldives. Our careers and the job market is no different. The thought of losing out that seemingly perfect job or the multi million dollar deal entices the best of us. This is as true of a fresh MBA graduate as it is for a seasoned banker with 25 years of experience. All that varies is the magnitude of what entices us.

Social media and the amplified news about colleagues and acquaintances getting crazy salaries, stock options, super titles dazzles everyone. It pushes us to pursue the elusive without always sitting down and evaluating the price we need to pay for it. This pursuit driven by FOMO often lands us in a more difficult place. Over the last 12 months, as I coached people, have heard numerous stories of folks joining companies for fancy hikes to only have their personal life take a backseat as they sweated out crazy hours week after week, or their responsibility set getting dwindled as a trade off for a much higher compensation, or their stock options getting eroded as the company went bust. Equally, there are stories where people have made a remarkable switch and love the extended working hours and the rush it gives them, enjoyed the stability that a larger organization has given them, and made significant wealth through stock options.

The yardstick of success that we define for ourself is what distinguishes a decision driven by FOMO vs. a decision driven by your life priorities. Getting tempted is normal, but having your life priorities articulated helps provide perspective when we find ourselves tempted. There is no good or bad career decision, it's just a question of what's good for you at this point of time given your life priorities.