I only do what I want to do

“I only do what I want to do”

As we start 2022, I’m seeing more and more people talk about JOMO (the Joy Of Missing Out), as opposed to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). I consider myself an expert at JOMO, having been a practitioner for many years (ha!). In more recent times, I’ve evolved to use the phrase: “I only do what I want to do”.

Let me explain why I now use this phrase, which some could consider selfish in a negative way, but I see as highly positive.

You see, I left Cayman around five years ago and moved to London in the UK, where I found some of the social conventions quite odd. Specifically, when one offers to do something with or for someone else, the other person often responds along the lines of: “oh, you don’t have to”. As an example, I used to live near Clapham Junction station and took a train from there into the centre of London most days. There are steps up to the railway platforms and almost every day I’d see someone struggle with a suitcase up the steps. I’d typically then offer to carry it up the stairs for them (with their permission of course) to make their life just that little bit easier. Most would nod or say thanks, some would, though, say something like “you don’t have to”. It is an odd convention (to me) to turn down a genuine offer to help by using this somewhat dismissive phrase.