Table of Contents
It’s a Challenge
One of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs and business owners is to decide where to focus their time and energy to produce the results they want.
This is no more apparent than in the make money online space.
With an abundance of products, courses, software and other opportunities appearing almost daily, deciding which ones get your attention and which ones don’t can be overwhelming.
Trying to do too much and taking on too many things can lead to piles of unfinished projects that don’t move you closer to your goals.
Continually chasing new things and saying yes to too many projects without understanding how they align with your goals leads to massive overwhelm.
If you’re constantly chasing new projects and opportunities you may be suffering from shiny object syndrome.
Shiny object syndrome is the tendency to continually chase new trends, new opportunities, and new ideas without evaluating their benefit first. In the make money online space this tends to come in the form of an endless array of so called “push button” solutions.
Having shiny object syndrome causes distraction, overwhelm, stress, and a lack of focus.
Chasing shiny objects can also cause you to waste valuable time chasing new targets rather than focusing on your goals.
Have you experienced shiny object syndrome? At its core, shiny object syndrome is the tendency to distract yourself from your most important work by chasing new things that seem to be more exciting and or that promise to deliver your goals with less effort.
The key symptom of shiny object syndrome is the tendency to chase new shiny things rather than focus on the work in front of you. Chasing shiny objects affects your productivity and effectiveness. As a result, you may start new things and fail to finish them and spend wasted time going down the wrong path
If you struggle with shiny object syndrome, this article shares 5 simple tips to overcome shiny object syndrome.
Why Do Some People Suffer From shiny object syndrome?
Many entrepreneurs and small business owners experience shiny object syndrome because they do not have the clarity, confidence, or capability to make positive progress on their goals. They have too many projects on the go, many unfinished. They are also hit daily with new offers, some from unscrupulous marketers trying to flog them the next shiny push button solution that in reality doesn’t exist.
Frustration with goals, frustration with progress, and frustration with performance can lead to shiny object syndrome. Chasing bright shiny objects can lead to continual comparison and fear of missing out.
Being an entrepreneur in the digital age means being bombarded by shiny objects. There is always new and exciting technology to understand and explore.
If chasing shiny objects is holding you back from making real progress towards achieving your goals, getting increased focus and accountability could be the answer.
Here’s How To Overcome Shiny Object Syndrome
Here are 5 simple tips to overcome shiny object syndrome.
1. Set Measurable Goals And Feel Better
If you are easily distracted by shiny objects, the first step is to set better, measurable goals.
Entrepreneurs chase new and exciting things when they do not have clarity on what they want to achieve and when they want to achieve their goals. This lack of focus and direction creates distraction, which causes shiny object syndrome.
To stop chasing shiny objects, take a moment to get clear on what you want to create in your business and what results you want to achieve.
Use goal setting to set your long-term vision and create short-term measurable goals. If you do not know what you want, you will always be chasing bright shiny objects. If you don’t have clear goals to work towards, you’ll constantly be chasing bright shiny objects.
2. Become More Accountable
As an entrepreneur, you may feel like you have an abundance of time to try new things and experiment with new ways of doing things. Time is your most valuable asset.
Having unfinished projects means you’re not managing time effectively. As a result, you get nothing of substance completed. Chasing shiny objects can waste days learning something new or going down rabbit holes.
You can overcome shiny object syndrome by getting more accountability and focus. Find an experienced accountability coach or accountability partner to keep you in check and help you stay focused on your goals.
Accountability ensures you stop spending weeks and months chasing bright shiny objects that fail to move you closer towards your goals.
3. Make No Your Default Response
Setting better boundaries around your time and energy will help you stop chasing shiny objects. If you say yes to every opportunity that comes your way, you will continually chase bright shiny objects and live in a constant state of feeling overwhelmed
When you have clarity on your goals and have a clear path and plan to follow, it is easier to say no to shiny objects. If you fail to set boundaries around your time, you may be saying yes to everything.
To overcome shiny object syndrome, say no more often to new opportunities and new things. Get clear on the result you think this opportunity will create in your business.
If you do not believe this new opportunity will help you reach your goals faster, say no.
Make no the default setting to new projects and new requests for your time, energy, and focus unless it aligns with your goals.
4. Ignore The Very Bright Shiny Objects
Bright shiny object syndrome causes entrepreneurs to take on new projects without evaluating their value or how it aligns with their goals. These usually take the form of claiming that something can be achieved with very little effort. The old “push button” solution that simply doesn’t exist. Ignore them.
Taking the time to evaluate new opportunities can save you days and weeks of wasted time and energy. If you are easily distracted, evaluate everything.
Get clear on the purpose of the new opportunity and how it aligns with your goals. Take a moment to get clear on the difference taking action will make in your business and life.
Ask yourself what result you want to achieve with the opportunity and understand the time requirement. Also, look at the financial investment required.
When you see a clear benefit for taking action, then go for it. If you do not, focus on your current priorities to ensure you don’t overload your to-do list and have too much going on.
5. Stop comparing Yourself To Others
One of the biggest causes of shiny object syndrome is comparison syndrome. With comparison syndrome, you can feel like a failure when comparing your achievements or success with others.
People who chase shiny objects experience imposter syndrome
Imposter syndrome can cause you to feel stuck and start chasing new and exciting things because other people have had success with them or at least claim to have had success. You then waste time and energy looking at what these people are doing.
You stop comparing yourself to others when you have clear goals to follow and feel gratitude for what you have. When you are confident about your achievements and have a clear plan to follow, you stop comparing.
When you compare yourself to others, you can experience low self-esteem and low self-confidence. As a result, you chase more bright shiny objects to feel better yourself.
Self-confidence grows when you trust and believe in yourself. This belief comes from having better goals and following your path.
In Conclusion
Shiny object syndrome causes distraction and overwhelm. If you’re feeling distracted and overwhelmed right now, use these five simple tips to stop chasing shiny objects and increase your focus and productivity.
By becoming aware of what causes you to chase shiny objects, you can break the pattern once and for all. Using these tips will help you manage your time better, stop feeling overwhelmed, and eliminate the distraction caused by chasing shiny objects.
One final word. In the make money online space in particular, try to align yourself with people that are truly interested in helping you achieve your goals. Be very warry of anyone that is trying to flog you on an almost daily basis the latest and greatest 60 second to riches software or whatever. They Do Not have your best interests at heart. You’ll learn to recognise the good ones. They will be selective in what they recommend and will truly be trying to provide an effective solution to help drive your business forward and enable you to achieve your goals.
Stay Focused and Thrive.
This article originally appeared at Lucemi Consulting and was edited and added to by Shane at MMO Warriors
