The Fear Of Missing Out.......!

I am a repeat offender when it comes to the case of bunking off plans. 

My friends and I will arrange to meet up, dine out and paint the town red, we'll all be properly up for it, and by the time the night rolls around I might not be feeling it any more. Or I'll have an invite to a bookish event in the big smoke, but by the time I've planned my journey and worked out timings, plus booked the evening off work, I'm a little less psyched. Sometimes I just want to curl up in bed with mint tea, a juicy episode of How To Get Away With Murder all cued up, and my eternally mocking manuscript open in another tab in case I get some inspiration...

The thing is, I usually go along to these arranged things and have an excellent time! I'm hardly ever disappointed. But at times the main reason I go along to events of any kind in the first place is that I get a nasty influx of.......FOMO!

Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO), noun/feeling ; the indescribable, unshakable worry that sets in when a THING is happening and one is wondering whether or not to attend the THING. Can sometimes be only motivation for attending.

However, can result in failure to fulfil plans and thus suffer the upset at being left out of friendship moments. Private jokes, Instagram uploads, etc. 

Full article on this phenomenon HERE.

The antidote for FOMO? I have found it's simply a change in acronym...let's entertain the idea of GOMO: Going Out More Often!

This year is my year. I've already said this, and let me tell you that 4 months in I am still on track making 2016 an epic time for myself. This is partly due to my incredible inhuman intake of coffee, and partly down to my stubbornness and determination to achieve my goals that I've had deep within me since I was a petulant 5 year-old...mostly, though, it's my change in attitude and my saying 'F U' to FOMO, and 'oh hey' to GOMO. 

I first got on this in early March when I did my week's work experience at The Times Magazine; every day I was up at the News Building in London I was meeting a friend for my lunch break, then going out on the town in the evenings for dinner/drinks before heading back to stay with whichever lovely friend was putting me up that night. It was the maddest most whirlwind week, and it inspired me to do what a lot of my generation have started doing and put more of my money towards experiences, not material items. 

My plans for the summer are shaping up nicely. I intend to attend the magical event that everyone in the UKYA community is always raving about, YALC (28th - 31st July). I'm also hoping to take a writers' mini break with my good pal and fellow wannabe author Amy, maybe to rural France or inner city Italy...we shall see! I have a ton of theatre trips booked in with friends, and I'm hoping to continue my lucky streak of catching my all-time favourite musical artists live well into 2017 (so far this year: Joshua Radin, City and Colour, plus Newton Faulkner tomorrow night!). I've got into the habit of taking myself on hot dates recently, too. 

And y'all should know by now how important and magical a good coffee hang out is for me! 

I also attended IRL Panel the other night; the second tide of the event engineered by Emma Gannon (@girllostincity) and Laura Jane Williams (@superlativelyLJ). With a panel of gorgeous genius guests and the most fascinating chat happening about friendships, plus free prosecco, it made me fall in love with live events all over again. I must go to the next one! 

One monthly event that I always anticipate most eagerly and have grown to love enormously is #DrinkYA, organised by the lovely Jim (@YaYeahYeah). This monthly meet-up in central London consists of magical guests (typically book bloggers, publishing pros and authors), excitable chatter, swapping stacks of books and...cocktails. There are always cocktails!

The next #DrinkYA, Tuesday 28^th April, is set to be the biggest one yet. With its promised 'The YA Book Prize' theme and star nominee guests, it's no wonder that we are having to properly reserve places for the first time via Eventbrite! 
Speaking of, highly recommend those guys. If you ever need to create your own event, be sure to check out their event planning software HERE. 

So, I am slowly but surely getting better at saying YES to events. My diary is filling up fast with amazing things, and I'm well on my way to conquering FOMO once and for all. GOMO is becoming my new motto!