Episode 23: FOMO - Fear of Missing Out

In this episode, I share my personal experience with fear of missing out (FOMO) in language learning, as well as tips for recognizing and overcoming it. From using every resource from beginning to end, skipping nothing, doing every exercise (whether I wanted to or not; whether it was useful or not) to hoarding resources and joining all the language challenges, FOMO really disrupted my progress forward because it kept me spinning my wheels on most of the same material or topics, always afraid that I was missing specific vocabulary or grammar if I didn't do it all. I quickly burned out and started believing that I just couldn't learn languages.

Once I finally understood that FOMO was an extension of my perfectionism (which won't be the case for everyone who experiences it), I could start seeing the signs that fear of missing out was crerping into my language life, and I learned how to stop it in its tracks. It's an ongoing battle, though. I don't know that I'll ever experience a language journey not threatened by FOMO, but I can certainly give myself the grace to accept it, work against it, and admit when I've given in to its tempting ways.

Listen in to this part of my journey, struggling with fear of missing out in language learning, and feel free to reach out and share your own struggles with it, as well. Talking is healing. Sharing is healing. Community is healing.