The Joy of Missing Out: A Movement Rooted in Freedom and Presence
There is a quiet revolution unfolding—a movement toward reclaiming time, attention, and the fullness of life beyond the screen. It is called the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO), and it is shifting the way people think about technology, presence, and what it means to live well.
JOMO is not about rejection or renunciation. It is not about turning away from technology altogether. Instead, it is about turning toward something deeper—toward a life of greater intention, richer relationships, and a sense of freedom that comes from choosing what truly matters.
At its core, JOMO is the antidote to the cultural pressure of always being connected, always scrolling, always chasing the next notification. It is the decision to opt out of the endless noise and opt into something more meaningful: a quiet morning with a book, an unhurried walk at dusk, a meal shared without distraction. It is about finding joy in the spaces in between—the pauses where life’s most beautiful moments unfold.
Every moment of our lives is spent doing one thing to the exclusion of a literal infinity of other things, no matter what we choose. Advertisers, media conglomerates, even well-meaning colleagues and family members urge us not to miss out, to play it safe, to put ourselves out there on every available platform.
If you want to hit your goal, don’t scatter your shots.
You’re here because you want to live fully. Unpack that want. What is it you long to experience? What do you want to cultivate? What is waiting to be uncovered when the distractions fall away?
Don’t let FOMO mess that up.
What are you willing to miss out on so you can make room for what matters?
I wrote my first book when my children were ages 4, 2, and six months old. I wrote three days a week in a jeweler’s office at a desk I rented for $25/week. I drove home at lunch hours to nurse and kiss babies. I voice-dictated chapters in the blackness of our bedroom. I wanted to write that book. I was paying for childcare and office space and espresso to make that dream live.
I wanted.
What do you want? What are you willing to miss out on to get there?
Push notifications? Instagram? Email? Lattes? Holidays? Expectations—real or imagined? Alcohol? Sleep? Fear?
The movement is rooted in a simple yet profound truth: human connection, creativity, and well-being flourish in moments of presence. Studies reveal what many instinctively know to be true—our devices, when unchecked, fragment our attention and pull us away from the richness of real life. By embracing JOMO, individuals and communities are rediscovering the power of undistracted time. They are reclaiming their evenings from the glow of a screen, strengthening relationships that deepen with face-to-face connection, and rekindling the kind of creativity that only emerges in stillness.
I left for four days last fall to write in the country at a dirty table in a cold room, and I wept for every hour I sat there and gave myself over to the work. This is the work I am meant to do. Those days at that dirty table looked nothing like the front covers and blog posts and productivity hacks and inspirational Instagram posts I nibble on and spit out day after day, after hour.
The words sprouted and took root. There was nothing productive or Instagrammable or repeatable about it.
I simply made room.
Make room for your work. Make space for what seems random. Stay in the chair.
JOMO matters because in a world designed to keep people hooked, choosing presence is an act of quiet resistance. It is a declaration that life is best lived fully awake, fully engaged, fully here. And it is a movement that grows with each person who chooses to step away from the constant pull of digital distraction and step into the beauty of real-world moments.
There is a kind of courage in choosing to miss out. It is the courage to say no to the urgency of online life in favor of something slower, something real. It is the courage to trust that what is unfolding right in front of us is enough. And in that trust, in that presence, joy is found.
Time stops when we are doing what matters most. Time stops when we are engaged in deep conversation, when we are creating, when we are present with those we love. Time stops when we are living fully.
Where does time stop for you?
Notice it—that’s when you’re experiencing the joy of missing out.
The Joy of Missing Out is not about missing out at all. It is about finally coming home—to ourselves, to our relationships, and to the life that is waiting when we put our devices down and look up.
