It has been a while since I've written a non-technical blog post. The subject of Focus and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) has been on my mind recently. I think it is very important to touch on this subject for those in a similar position to me.
I started my cybersecurity journey in August of last year. It took me a few weeks to decide that pursuing my bachelor's degree was the path I wanted to follow. But because of COVID-19 and the fact that some schools still don't utilize electronic transcripts, I would not start school until November. I did not want to sit idly by waiting to start school, so I exposed myself to all things hands-on security: CTFs, Hack The Box, Try Hack Me, podcasts, Twitch streams, YouTube videos, Security Blue Team BTJA, etc. I was loving it! Not only was I learning hands-on practical skills and documenting them here on my website, it also honed my affinity and focused my efforts toward defensive blue-team security topics and projects.
The problem? It was difficult to stay motivated and focused on my studies once I finally started school. You can imagine the difference between learning theory as opposed to learning practical skills--the difference between reading a book or being hands on the keyboard. There hasn't been anything practical that I've completed so far that has been a chore for me to do -- I've loved it all. Transitioning to learning theory in an online classroom setting was a struggle to say the least. I could have finished my first two classes within 1-2 weeks (because of my previous experience and my newly acquired hands-on security skills). Instead, it took me nearly 2.5 months to pass those two classes. It wasn't because they were difficult. It was because I lacked focus and motivation.
I had a plan once I started school. I'd dedicate half of my day to working on WGU schoolwork. The other half would be dedicated to pursuing practical projects as I had been doing. It worked out fine initially. But as the days passed, time dedicated to schoolwork started to subside until my projects essentially took up all my time again.
Why? Sure, my projects were more exciting to do than reading and doing fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice tests. That was definitely part of it. But looking back on it now, it was also because of FOMO, or the "fear of missing out". What do I mean by that?
Society has transitioned to digital relationships more so now than ever, especially with the advent of COVID-19. If there's one thing I can tell someone breaking into security to do, it would be this: make sure you are represented in the digital world! LinkedIn, GitHub, and a personal website (heck, even Facebook and Instagram) are a damn near necessity these days. So how does FOMO fit into this?
If you are a cybersecurity hopeful and you have an online presence to learn and network, you are constantly bombarded by what OTHER people are doing. Everyday, someone was posting their new shiny digital badge, a certificate from a security webinar, or a new industry-recognized security certification. And all these accomplishments are coming from my peers: people who are also trying to make a career out of cybersecurity. It made me want to "keep up with the Joneses". I, too, wanted to post about the cool and interesting things I was doing to improve my security acumen. And therein lies the problem. . .
Although I'm improving myself by pursuing my degree, the work I'm doing to obtain my degree is not nearly as "sexy". There really isn't anything cool I can share with my network to show them my progress (other than the certifications that are part of my degree program, but are not part of my current term). I wanted something I could share to my social network as well, and so I started to shift a lot of my time and attention to side projects rather than my schoolwork.
It got to a point where I was trying to "keep up" so much that I lost my focus on what I had to do for my own personal situation: it was my own decision to pursue my bachelor's degree and that should be taking precedence over my personal side projects. My school term had a hard deadline; my side projects did not. And that deadline was quickly approaching.
Thankfully, I recognized the problem and sought out to correct it. I had a responsibility to myself to complete what I set out to do, and that was to work on my degree. So, I buckled down and hit the books so that I could finish out my first term with flying colors. I'm not out of the woods yet, but I'm back on track. This also explains my absence in posting to this website, as well as social media updates. It was a hard thing to do, especially with all the amazing blue-team resources out now that I want to play with, and also because my peers are still posting all their new accomplishments on social media. But I just have to be patient, tackle what needs to be completed, and I'll have the opportunity to get back to those projects I'm so passionate about when the time is right.
As a previous automotive service technician, I know it is the hands-on practical things that really make or break a technician, and not the theory of it (although super important as well). Will cybersecurity be the same? I don't know. But having the patience to obtain both is key and I just need to keep that at the forefront. I hope this blog also helps you on your own journey. Thanks for stopping by!
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