4 Ways to Break Free from Shiny Stuff Syndrome

Now, some years ago, I met an incredible business owner and entrepreneur, a lady called Julia. Julia was a dynamo. She was known for her innovative ideas, her boundless energy. And one day she shared with me her lady's project. and her lady's project was actually an app that was all about how to help people manage their time better.

And this was all getting in the way of her, Actually making her magic happen of actually completing and launching this, incredible app. Julia was suffering from what I like to call shiny stuff syndrome. Yes. She'd caught a massive dose of the three deadly S's each new tech trend or tool that came her way.

She needed to remember her why, the very reason she'd started her own journey. And we worked on a strategy to help her prioritize and focus, treating every single new idea like window shopping. You look, you appreciate, but you don't immediately buy. You know, it's like when you find yourself on a diet, but you find yourself in a chocolate shop, every single thing looks tempting, but you've got to remember what your ultimate goal is.

It may be that you want to fit into some fabulous suit or dress at your best friend's wedding. You don't necessarily need that extra chocolate. You've got to own the choice. You need a strategy to keep walking, keep on walking past that chocolate shop. So the question is, are you the one? A bit like Julia, are you constantly chasing after the next big thing only to find yourself overwhelmed and not really getting anywhere fast?

Think of it like being a kid in a candy store, but instead of the sweets, you're surrounded with shiny new business strategies. maybe this is you, this is your typical day. You're, scrolling through social media feed. I know that's really hard, isn't it? Not to scroll, but you're scrolling through your social media feed.

Before you know it, another new shiny opportunity catches your eye and that cycle repeats itself again. But the impact It can happen. Your business, shiny stuff, syndrome is very real. You know, here's some of the things that I find in my business. when I find myself following shiny stuff, by the way, I'm a Gemini too.

So it's like rabbits. I don't know if I go in a totally different direction, but the reality is the cost of shiny stuff. Syndrome is real. First up, We, seem to have an inability to actually finish projects where hopping from one project to the next, never really pausing to collect data or analyze what is truly working.

And finally, if we're not careful, we hit this point of stagnation. As you flip flop behind ideas or between ideas, your business stagnates. You might confuse your potential clients and leads start drying up. It's a bit like. Going into a gym, right? every time you walked into a gym, you tried out a different workout routine without really sticking to any particular plan.

And it's very real in this entrepreneurial world that we are operating in. There's lots and lots of stuff being done, lots and lots and lots of movement, but no real gains. So if this is you, if you are finding yourself struggling with the three deadly S's of shiny stuff syndrome, I want to give you a couple of ideas to focus on.

Suggests that the second big phase of work is expectancy. So we believe that we can, you know, New Year's Eve is a classic example of this, isn't it? I'm, I'm going to run a marathon this year. I'm going to not work at the weekends this year. We set the ambition and at a certain moment in time, we have an expectancy that we can.

And this third piece that will ensure sustained. and focused activity and delivery, leverage, and achievement of your goals is attention. Expectancy and ambition are awesome. They're the very things that kick off. the activity that's needed, but without attention, without focusing and being intentional about attention, I think this is what fuels shiny stuff syndrome.

Give yourself that moment before you jump in and say yes. Pause, give yourself a moment to sit with any new ideas, any new shiny thing that's coming your way, give yourself a moment to sit and to pause. And I would suggest that if it's not a hell yes, this is the very thing that's going to help me achieve my goals, then it's probably.

a hell no So first thing I want you to do is pause. The second thing before we take any action is communicate. And this is where I want you to tap into your inner circle, that trusted board of advisors that you have around you, that network Of trusted people whose opinions you value, the people who, you know, are not going to say yes, just to make you feel good.

This will help you stay focused and measure your progress. Effectively in my elevator in the inner circle community, we do this every single day, every single week and every single quarter, every single quarter, we decide what our measures of success are. We then plug them into an accountability dashboard so that every single week my clients can measure whether the effort that they're putting in the work that they are doing is delivering the results that they want. Measuring your activity is key because it's, this is the very thing that can show you either what to stop, what to start and what to keep doing to ensure that you are moving towards your goals. Now, the final step here of.

is key. Knowing when to cut your losses. It's about sticking to your long term goals and adjusting strategies as necessary to remain aligned with your ultimate vision. So four things, pause, communicate, measure, and if necessary, quit. These three deadly S's, shiny stuff syndrome, isn't just about distraction.

It's not about avoiding new ideas, but it is about mastering the art of selective attention. Keep your eyes on your prize and let the rest of the noise fade away. So until next time, keep being brilliant and don't let the shiny stuff get in your way this week.