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<\/p>\nAs one of Britain\u2019s most celebrated Olympians, Sir Mo Farah knows what it means to push beyond your comfort zone and trust your instincts. Now he\u2019s encouraging the nation to do the same. <\/p>\n
Virgin Red and Sir Mo Farah have challenged the UK public to break up their monotonous routines and rediscover the thrill of doing something unexpected, turning FOMO into Go-Mo \u2013 the split-second decision moment where you trust your gut, say yes and step out of autopilot into something memorable. <\/p>\n
The Olympic medallist took to the streets of London to surprise passers-by with spontaneous holidays and bucket-list experiences through Virgin Red, but with one catch \u2013 they had to agree to leave almost immediately. <\/p>\n
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This comes as new research from Virgin Red reveals that people are increasingly getting stuck in their comfort zones, with more than half (54%) admitting they struggle to act in the moment. <\/p>\n
By deciding to \u2018say yes\u2019, Virgin Red is championing consumers who trust their gut and step out of autopilot, seizing moments that could turn into something memorable. <\/p>\n
Passers-by were challenged to escape their comfort zones, with Sir Mo Farah offering them the chance to set sail from sunny Athens, jump on a flight to South Korea, or take a leap of faith on a skydive, all with Virgin \u2013 on the condition they agree to act ‘immediately’ and not dither over the decision. <\/p>\n
Lucky Londoners who spotted Sir Mo Farah had a simple task \u2013 to commit to one of Virgin Red\u2019s last-minute experiences right away \u2013 and many people took them up the offer \u2013 proving people are keen to leave their prepping and planning behind. What\u2019s more, almost eight in 10 (77%) people agree that overthinking opportunities can hold people back from truly enjoyable experiences. <\/p>\n
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Jane Snowden, aged 67, who runs a Good Neighbour programme helping elderly locals in Shropshire with her husband Andy, trusted their instincts and said yes to Mo, both now setting sail on a week-long voyage from Athens. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were down visiting family and out for a walk when we spotted Mo out of the corner of our eye. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not every day you come across someone like that on the street, so we thought, why not go over and see if we could have a quick chat. <\/p>\n
We had absolutely no idea what was coming next, when Mo pulled out the envelope and revealed we\u2019d won a trip of a lifetime – we were completely stunned! <\/p>\n
We\u2019ve never been on a cruise before, so saying yes felt like a huge moment for us – it\u2019s something we never would have planned, but we\u2019re so glad we did.\u201d <\/p>\n
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The research highlights a nation reluctant to embrace spontaneity, with 66% of consumers turning down plans because they felt overwhelmed or outside of their comfort zone. <\/p>\n
Anna Troughton, 30, was left stunned after agreeing to take part in the challenge – and discovering she\u2019d won a last\u2011minute trip to Seoul, departing the very next day. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in between jobs at the moment, so thought I\u2019d come down to London for the day to do a bit of shopping. <\/p>\n
“I noticed a film crew on the street and wandered over to see what was going on. <\/p>\n
“The next thing I knew, I was chatting to Mo Farah, who completely put me on the spot and asked if I was bold enough to say yes to something happening tomorrow. <\/p>\n
“Given where I\u2019m at right now, I thought, why not – and then I honestly couldn\u2019t believe it when he revealed I\u2019d won a trip to Seoul, leaving tomorrow. I was totally shocked. It\u2019s definitely made me realise I need to say yes more often!\u201d <\/p>\n
Three in five (60%) also admitted that they have missed an opportunity because they didn\u2019t say yes right away, with only 7% of people saying that they would \u201cembrace new opportunities\u201d. However, more than half (54%) would like to push themselves outside of their comfort zones more often. <\/p>\n
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Sir Mo Farah, who teamed up with Virgin Red to put the nation\u2019s \u2018say yes\u2019 instinct to the test, said: \u201cI’ve learned that some of the best moments in life happen when you trust your gut and just go for it. Whether it’s in training, travelling, or spending time with my family, saying yes to something unexpected has created memories for me I never would have expected. <\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing people take a chance on these last-minute experiences with Virgin Red has been brilliant – that spontaneous mindset is what Go-Mo is all about.” <\/p>\n
World-leading neuroscientist, Dr Tara Swart, added: \u201cGo-Mo is the brain training itself to say \u2018yes\u2019 to new experiences instead of sticking to what feels safe. When we\u2019re younger, everything feels new, which is why time seems to slow down, but as life becomes more routine, that sense of excitement fades and time appears to speed up. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t want life to pass you by, it\u2019s about breaking out of those routines, even small changes can shake us out of autopilot and create more meaningful moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cModern society has taught us to overlook our \u2018gut feeling\u2019 in favour of rationality, but those instinctive \u2018yes\u2019 or \u2018let\u2019s do it\u2019 moments can strengthen emotional wellbeing, self-trust and cognitive flexibility.\u201d <\/p>\n
The research also revealed many people are, unsurprisingly, creatures of habit, with the top signs of being stuck in a comfort zone including rewatching favourite TV shows (70%), choosing quiet nights in over going out (65%) and returning to the same holiday destination year after year (55%). <\/p>\n
Andrea Burchett, Chief Loyalty Officer, at Virgin Red, says: \u201cWe can all be guilty of retreating to the safety of our comfort zones. But so many of us are missing out because we can\u2019t just say \u2018let\u2019s go\u2019 and jump into something new. \u201cWe want to challenge people to embrace adventure and remember just how much fun it can be. Virgin Red offers hundreds of experiences to help people take that first step into spontaneity.\u201d <\/p>\n