Shiny Object Syndrome: How to Identify it and Let it Go

Shiny Object Syndrome is a tendency to want to get attracted to new, exciting ideas that take you away from your purpose.  Usually it happens because you know what you really need to do and don’t want to do it, so then you go looking for attractive alternatives.

I have spent SO MUCH TIME being distracted by shiny objects!  They are very expensive in time and money.  It is humbling to realize how much farther I could have gotten if I hadn’t spent time on them.  However, this is the cruxt of it - you wouldn’t be attracted to them if you thought you could do what you really want to do.  

So why don’t you think you can do what you want to do?  That’s the real question.

This week I noticed that if I have the following fears about what I’m doing, then it’s a sign that I’m on the right track:

-it feels scary and vulnerable

-fear of getting rejected

-what if it doesn’t work?

-fear of not being good enough

Sometimes just stepping out of your comfort zone is so scary you can barely do it.  However, that’s usually the action that’s going to really move the needle. 

A clear sign that something is a shiny object is that it doesn’t scare you that much.  It looks attractive and exciting and you think it will definitely work.  However, after the initial phase, when it gets to the mundane nitty gritty of keeping it going, the object loses its shine!  Then you end up back where you started.

Once you are clear on what a shiny object is, look back over your life and audit the shiny objects that have taken you off of your path.  Where were you when you thought of them?  What people were you with?  It’s important to identify this so you can get out of the “hype” that gets you distracted.

It’s also important to slow down how you make decisions.  Impulsive decisions can take you right off of your path at times.  Take the time to weight the decision carefully.

“Essentialism” by Greg McKeown is a wonderful read to help you combat Shiny Object syndrome.  Another is this video by Sam Ovens.

If you enjoyed this episode, definitely tune in every Friday because I will be releasing a new episode each week. 

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