6 Helpful Strategies for Overcoming Shiny Object Syndrome
Entrepreneurs are presented with countless possibilities. Some may tempt them with higher profits, greater efficiency, and more influence. However, impulsively chasing after the “next big thing” can lead to disorganization, a loss of focus, and stagnant growth. This phenomenon is called the shiny object syndrome or SOS and can become a serious hurdle to your personal and professional success.
What exactly is shiny object syndrome? Could you have it and if you do, how can you overcome it?
Shiny Object Syndrome: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
Shiny object syndrome is the tendency to continually chase new trends, new promising opportunities, and new ideas without evaluating their benefits and considering the consequences first. Usually, this is at the expense of whatever they have or are currently doing. In a business setting, shiny object syndrome takes the form of chasing the latest strategy, tactic, or advice making the rounds within the industry. Having shiny object syndrome causes distraction, overwhelm, stress, and a lack of focus.
For example, a marketing team with limited manpower decides to employ direct mail methodologies. Along the way, the members decide to tackle social media marketing, send out physical flyers, and establish an affiliate marketing program. As you can imagine, constantly changing course and adding new strategies will dilute their focus and make their existing primary strategy less effective.
While it’s necessary to keep up with trends in the industry, SOS can damage your business if you let it interfere with your everyday operations. For starters, the shiny object consumes your time and attention, preventing you from completing projects on time. Second, it can confuse your teams because your focus is always shifting. Finally, the habit of starting new projects and stopping them midway is an inefficient use of all resources.
Let’s explore 6 strategies to help you overcome shiny object syndrome, so you can be on the path to more quickly have your ideal business and ideal life.
1. Set SMART Goals
Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely goals, or SMART goals, prevent you and your team from getting blinded by shiny objects. The strategy helps you set goals that matter to your business, helping team members stick to the original goal even in the face of distractions.
I believe in setting stretch goals. A stretch goal is an ambitious and challenging target that urges an entrepreneur to “stretch” beyond what they think they can achieve. It's a type of goal that isn't meant to be 100% completed. A stretch goal inspires big dreams and motivates people to undertake significant challenges that will help them achieve more than they would if they set only realistic goals. Keep in mind that stretch goals need to be ambitious; however, you need to stay away from making them impossible or outside the realm of reality.
If you might be curious, check out how your brain can help you with goal setting by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/brain-helps-with-goal-setting/.
2. Evaluate the Shiny Object
Set aside time to evaluate shiny objects carefully. Weigh their potential impact and consider their pros and cons. You can even invite your team to help you with your assessments.
Do you have a shiny object, project, decision, or issue to resolve? To help you with your decision making, download my complimentary Pros versus Cons Exercise by going to https://bit.ly/Pros-Cons-Exercise.
If the shiny object is a legitimate game changer, you can go ahead and include it in your business plan. But if it’s not, stick to your guns and don’t allow it to take up any more of your valuable time and resources.
3. Prioritizing Tasks and Projects
Prioritizing tasks and projects enables you to quickly see what’s more important. If you’re juggling multiple projects, this strategy will prevent you from getting bogged down and confused.
This way, you'll prioritize your business tasks while still being open to new opportunities.
To help you and your team be even more time efficient, use a Prioritized Action List (PAL). This is a list of everything you have to do, so you don’t have sticky notes, pieces of scrap paper laying around, or things in your head that you are trying to remember or are afraid you will forget. Everything on the list is in a priority order – hence the name – so you are more focused and on target to getting the most important tasks/activities done very single day. Some contact management to-do lists can be customized to be more like my Prioritized Action List, which I think makes your list easier to tackle.
Download my Free Sample Prioritized Action List (PAL) that everyone in your office can use, if you don’t already have something, by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/pal-sample/.
4. Set Boundaries
In the digital age, there’s no shortage of shiny new objects that appear as lucrative opportunities. You can’t say ‘yes’ to all of them or even a fraction of them. That’s why it’s important to create boundaries. Determine one to three major projects you’ll work on every year and learn to say ‘no’ to initiatives that aren’t related to them.
By setting boundaries, you can maintain your focus on those high payoff activities that really matter in helping you to move your success needle higher.
5. Emphasize Accountability
From time and labor to overhead costs, many business resources are spent on a single project. And giving up on projects midway can put all those resources to waste.
Of course, the opportunity cost may sometimes justify such an action. But how do you evaluate it?
Emphasizing accountability is one surefire way to do that. You can bring more accountability to the workplace by asking your team to make a checklist of completed projects/tasks or incorporate metrics into your strategy.
To help you with effectively managing projects and tasks, consider using resources like Basecamp, ProjectTurf, Wrike, ProofHub, GanttPro, or nTask, for example.
This will prevent your team from getting distracted and allow them to deliver on the projects they’ve undertaken.
6. Eliminating Distractions
When you find that you’re evaluating too many shiny objects without substance every so often, it may be time to make some grassroots-level changes. Take note of sources of distractions that are leading you to higher exposure of shiny objects. Social media and competitor comparisons are two common culprits that lead to an influx of shiny objects.
Too often, we’re pressured into trying that new social media trend for our own marketing strategy or we’re trying to play catch-up with our competitors. Either way, if they lead to more distractions than productivity, it’s time to eliminate such activities or minimize their use.
Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome and Keep Your Eye on What Matters
Shiny object syndrome is nothing more than a fancy name for unnecessary distractions. These distractions take you away from your main goals and make them harder to achieve. If you know what you want and see shiny objects for what they really are, you can avoid being deterred and maintain a laser focus on changes that make a real difference to your bottom line, and keep you on the path to having your ideal business and ideal life.
Unlock a blueprint to creating and having your ideal business and ideal life by scheduling your free consultation with me today!
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Aim High
Anne Bachrach
The Accountability Coach™
I’m the author of many books, including, Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule, Live Life with No Regrets, No Excuses, The Guide to Stopping Procrastination, The Power of Visualization, My Gratitude Journal, the Work Life Balance Emergency Kit, and The Roadmap To Success with Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard, and more.
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