We’ve all been there. We’re on the road toward a planned destination and along the way, something catches our eye. Maybe it’s a roadside cafe, or new construction, or a fender-bender in the next lane. For most of us, these distractions cause us to take our eyes off the road, and our attention away from the place we’d planned to go, and we end up late to where we were headed — if we even make it at all!
If you’ve ever been on a road trip, you know how easy it is to veer off course, but for many of us, distractions in life, whether big or small, have caused us to miss out on reaching the goals we’ve set for ourselves.
I call this shiny object syndrome. I once had a bad case of it. But through the years, I’ve become better at recognizing its early signs, and have found effective ways to beat and overcome it. Watch my video above (or read on below) to learn how to get past it.
What is shiny object syndrome anyway?
Shiny object syndrome is what I like to call “a disease of distraction.” It’s like a small child chasing after a shiny new toy. Once they get there and see what the object is, they immediately lose interest and start chasing the next best thing.
For business owners, investors and entrepreneurs, these shiny objects can be everything from new opportunities, new ventures, new strategies, new products, new platforms, to whatever’s trending and popular.
People may suffer from shiny object syndrome if:
- They recklessly abandon one idea for another
- They take on new opportunities without a clear plan
- When things get hard, they lose interest
Does this sound familiar?
How Can Shiny Object Syndrome Be Cured?
Shiny object syndrome is a hell of a disease —- but, great news — there is an antidote!.
The only way you beat shiny object syndrome is to FOCUS.
Find a business that you’re passionate about and one that provides you with the leverage to scale and focus 1000% of your energy there. Over the course of my career, I’ve learned that it takes ALL of your energy to be successful in business, and you cannot afford to take your eye off the ball – not even for a second. When you commit yourself totally to one thing, you can move faster and achieve more.
This is a necessary habit to develop early on in your business because as you become more successful, there will be more opportunities that arise that can throw you off course if you let them.
Yes, these opportunities may benefit you in the short term, but there is no possible way that you can take on all of them at once. Ultimately, they will only serve as distractions to your purpose.
What has worked well for me is knowing and sticking to my vision for my life and my business. Having a strong why makes it almost impossible to compromise what’s important for a shiny object.
You have to step back and ask yourself, “Is this opportunity a distraction, or will it add value to my business?”
What matters most is that you master whatever it is that most supports your vision. Make sure that you finish the race before you start a new one. If you don’t, the shiny object syndrome will kill your results.
Bottom line: Focus on the part that is going to make you rich, leave everything else UNTIL you succeed.
I learned the hard way, so hopefully, you won’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t fall into this trap! I see it every day and wish someone told me this 30 years ago.
Which is why I created a signature FREE web class to help you do exactly that. It’s called:
Zero To MultiMillionaire:
“The Ultimate Business Success Formula”
I’ll be teaching 6 proven principles that helped me go from broke to rich, and I’m certain they can do the same for you.
Click here to register and select a date and time that works best for you.
Does the shiny object syndrome sound familiar to you? What interests are you juggling right now? How did you decide? What’s keeping you from making a choice and sticking with it? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
For your freedom,
Jeremiah Ogunrinu says
This is exactly what I needed
I was just thinking about taking on a new opportunity for quick results
But as Harv said Focus in the path that will make you rich all others comes after you are rich
Yes or yes