In a world driven by constant notifications, social media updates, and endless events, I’ve chosen a different path.
I don’t scroll through social media.
I don’t watch television.
I don’t join boards or attend parties.
Dinners with friends? I think I’ve had maybe 2 this year.
Instead, I find solace and fulfillment in solitude, immersed in my creative cave studio.
It’s here where I make music and write.
And when I’m not in the studio, I walk—a lot.
You might think I’m missing out, but I don’t have FOMO—the Fear of Missing Out.
Instead, I relish JOMO—the Joy of Missing Out.
The Benefits of JOMO
- Enhanced Focus
By avoiding distractions, you can dive deeply into your creative projects and tasks, leading to higher productivity and better outcomes. - Improved Mental Clarity
JOMO allows for mental space, reducing overwhelm from constant stimulation and information overload, leading to clearer thinking and decision-making. - Increased Creativity
Solitude and disengagement from external noise foster an environment where new ideas can flourish, allowing your creativity to thrive. - Stronger Personal Fulfillment
Focusing on activities that truly matter to you, instead of trying to keep up with others, leads to a deeper sense of personal satisfaction and joy. - Better Work-Life Balance
JOMO encourages intentional living, helping you prioritize meaningful connections and self-care over superficial engagements.
The Joy of Immersion
The joy of missing out comes from the depth of immersion in my creative projects.
Every year, I spend the first seven or eight months consumed by my music-making process.
This year, I’ve worked on several albums, and each one has required a level of focus that only isolation can provide.
From tracking to recording, mixing, and mastering, I dive into every detail.
When I’m in the middle of a project, the outside world fades away.
I’m fully engaged in what I do because this creative process takes a lot out of me.
It demands my full attention.
When I sit down to make music, I lose track of time, and days blend together.
It’s not just about producing sound — it’s about crafting an entire auditory experience, layer by layer.
That kind of focus is impossible when you’re constantly distracted by the digital noise that surrounds us.
Shedding the Distractions
I don’t scroll through social media or spend time watching TV because those things steal my focus.
They create a false sense of urgency, where every notification feels like something you can’t miss.
But the truth is, nothing that happens on those platforms can compare to the joy I feel when I finish a piece of music or complete a new project.
This doesn’t mean I’ve cut myself off from the world.
I keep in touch with friends and family, but I’ve found that less frequent, deeper connections work better for me.
And the same goes for my creative life.
Rather than bouncing from event to event or scrolling endlessly, I’d rather channel that energy into my work.
I also post to LinkedIn. But I plan and schedule those posts.
I leverage asynchronous communications like my weekly newsletter.
Walking: My Source of Inspiration
When I’m not creating music or writing, I walk.
It’s my way of decompressing and clearing my head.
Walking allows me to think without distractions, and it often sparks ideas for new projects.
There’s something meditative about it — just me, the rhythm of my footsteps, and my thoughts.
In those quiet moments, I often find the clarity I need to dive back into the studio, refreshed and ready for more.
Choosing Depth Over Breadth
At the heart of it, JOMO is about choosing depth over breadth.
It’s about embracing the joy that comes from focusing deeply on what matters most, rather than being scattered across countless distractions.
I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything because what I gain from my creative focus is far more rewarding than any fleeting moment of excitement from a social media post or an event.
So yes, I may spend a lot of time alone in my cave studio, but that’s where I find the joy in the journey of creation.
And when I finally emerge, blinking into the sunlight after months of hard work, the satisfaction of completing a project is all the reward I need.
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