As a digital course creator and coach …. Are you taking it in more than you can handle?
- Bought so many books and courses and yet you are unable to complete and even implement what was taught to you
- Downloaded many affirmations and even success rituals but unable to commit one till you get results
- You have many excellent business ideas yet you have not executed one of them till the end …
- Having plentitude of business ideas but have not yet materialze any
- Trouble staying focusing on important things for a long time
- Getting pulled into different direction and having troubled to pick up where you had left
- Processing so many information at one time to a point you feels stuck
If this sounds like you … you are not alone. It took me a year to get my act together.
One year is a very long time and a lot can be accomplished with this amount of time …
Yet I never regretted the time I had “wasted” getting distracted … they became my gift to help other digital course creators and coaches from getting stuck in their business.
You see, I didn’t realized I was experiencing what it is known as “Shiny Object Syndrome” until my coach highlighted it to me.
I thought I was doing what it felt at that time – market researching the materials I needed for my business … but when one brilliant idea became too many and they consumed the time I had dedicated to grow my business … ding! Ding! Ding! … it was time to do something because there were bills to pay, health to attend to, and let’s face … time got wasted because the main focus didn’t get done!
What is a Shiny Object Syndrome?
“Shiny Object Syndrome” is not a mental illness. It is phrased commonly use towards Entrepreneurs, Creators and Artist who often got swept away by something that enticed them while they were working on an existing idea, project or venture. This expression stemmed from a child behavior of desiring a new toy even if the current toy is working fine.
Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS) is a continual state of distraction brought on by an ongoing belief that there is something new worth pursuing. It often comes at the expense of what’s already planned or underway.
Is Shiny Object Syndrome a bad thing?
I know what you are thinking, is Shiny Object Syndrome a bad thing. After all, you’ve been told to capture an idea before they went away or someone else snagged it and before the offer expires …
In a grand scheme of things … Shiny Object Syndrome is not a habit you want to keep.
- It keeps you away from accomplishing what you said you were going to do.
- In some instances, it cost you time and money – investing all your effort on something with little research or thoughts put into it.
- And if you are that kind of onlinepreneur who loves to share what you do, very likely you create an inconsistent marketing messages causing a lot of confusion among your audience, leaving them to wonder what exactly you do.
When I Googled online to understand the underlying reasons for this trait, the reasons are plentitude and I put them into 9 different perspectives
Perspective #1 : Lifestyle
Lifestyle related – fatigue, overwork, poor sleep, hunger and dehydration which makes sense because when your basic needs are not met, verily likely you have trouble focusing on what’s important or on your agenda.
Surprising sedentary behavior could also be the reasons why you are drawn to something appear shiny, and fun …
Sedentary lifestyle is when someone spends six or more hours per day sitting or lying down, and they lack significant physical movement in their daily life.
My guess as to why sedentary lifestyle is a Shiny Object is because when you are feeling of restlessness, the body seek something to fill that void.
Perspective #2 – Poor Organization Skills
Having too many projects on the go, often caused the body nervous system to go overdrive … the fight or flight mode has troubled slowing down and eventually a full stop because of the surmountable task to do. What this means is …. You are unable to reflect and be fully invested in a task because the mind is like a rabbit busy hopping from
Perspective #3 – Inferiority Complex
Low self-esteem, lack self-confdence, and feeling not good enough often drives someone to look for something better, bigger and newer to make up for what they lack … also known as compensation …
Perspective #4 – Fear of Missing Out
I could have lump this with Perspective #3 but I think FOMO deserve a bullet point of its own … Fear of missing out (FOMO) is an emotional response to the belief that others are living better lives or that important opportunities are being missed. It can involve a deep sense of envy and affect self-esteem
Examples of FOMO include:
- Worrying that you’re missing out on enjoyable events that your peers are going to
- Worrying that by picking a certain career you’ll miss out on alternative paths
- Feeling like you’re missing out on social events, trends, or even breaking news
Perspective #5 – A Strength for Certain Personality Type.
It is highly noted that Shiny Object Syndrome is common about entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators and creative types personality. Their minds are often wired to seek ideas, and solutions. It is no surprised why most writers, artists and entrepreneurs often have notepad and pen near them. They want to capture all these brilliant ideas before they went away.
And under rather extreme measure … most don’t wait around for others to start, they hit the ignition button to set the wheels in motion
Perspective #6 – ADHD or Impusivity or Environment
With an increase number of neurodivergent community such as ADHD, a neurotypical individual often labeled themselves as someone with ADHD – Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – a diagnosis stems at childhood for constant fidgeting, being unable to sit still, wait and to concentrate on a task amongs others.
Some blames technology such as the Internet, iphone or social media for the readily available 24.7 access to information, and entertainment … it makes it harder for them to manage their impulses and draw the line between enough is enough
Perspective #7 – Restless Soul Not knowing your calling
LIke a wondering soul, you keep hoping from one thing to another because something within is missing … I found this perspective very fascinating and to a certain extent very true because before Internet is what is it today, I was one of the many who travelled extensively to seek meaning, purpose, and even solitude in life … I never stop searching until I found a place called home.
Perspecitve #8 : Short-term morale booster …
Shiny object syndrome often sparked excitement which often temporary. This usually happens when the main venture is slow, or not moving. Or when doubts come in. You fear begin to fear what others might think of your work, or you worry it may work or it is not good enough … then came the shiny object … and you thought it was the synchroncity from the Universe only to pull you even further away from your purpose.
Perspective #8 : Saboteur in Action Unconscious Fear of Success
Shiny object syndrome could also be a sign for fear of success or failure. It is a type of self-sabotage behaviors that takes your eyes from the prize … Without you consciously aware, you are taking your eyes from your focus because you fear that someone might laught at your finished work, or if your project turned out well, something bad may happened to you. Or perhaps the saying “All good things must come to an end” with that in mind, the sabotuer in you may say “Why bother” …
So how do we resolve this ….
Shiny Object Syndrome in my opinion is not merely a behaviorial issue meaning putting blinkers on to help you stay focus.
To overcome Shiny Object Syndrome requires a multi-prong approach such as
1. Having a clear plan with outcome, date of execution, specific task for implementing an idea from the mind to writing and eventually into a digital product. This plan can help you stay organized, and pace yourself with the creation process so you won’t get burnt out and seek the dopamine rush. This plan serves as a blue print … the big picture of what you are creating … when you have this plan in place, it can help you make a decision on how a “shiny object” fits into the master plan and to decide if you should take the action now or at a later time.
2. identifying your style so you become intuitively motivated to stay focus and to say no to the distractors that keeps blinking at you. In my coaching, I use Archetypes and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) to support this process
3. Having a yardstick that says you’ve arrived otherwise you will continue looking for the next thing to make your work complete
4. Incorporating meditation to help you reset your nervous system as a result of intensity from your creative work. It quieten the mental clutter and research has proven that you make better decision when you are relaxed and calm.
5. While I am not a big fan of go hard or go home style to get things done (I must do this, I need to do this etc) … I believe a gentle self-talk can definitely help program the subconscious mind to work with you against you … and this can be achieve by having a vision board. You vision can serve as your WHY and even blinkers when distractors pop up in your radar …
