How To Avoid Being Distracted By Shiny Object Syndrome & Develop Laser Sharp Focus

Get a backbone. That’s all it takes!

Look I was going to write a piece here about how to fight against the sneaky sales tactics that product launchers use to entice us, but that would imply that it’s not your fault for being distracted by “Shiny Object Syndrome.”

But that’s not true!

Being distracted by Shiny Object Syndrome is a result of your own weakness, lack of focus and poor judgement.

So admit it!

It’s not their fault, it’s yours.

Brian Tracy – “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”

Many small to medium business owners often find themselves falling victim to “Shiny Object Syndrome.”

Doing this means that you will be flip-flopping backwards and forwards, from one path to another, hoping the new shiny object is going to magically produce results.

No focus, no commitment, no results!

The Symptoms

1. No Focus: If you had laser focus you wouldn’t struggle to filter out distractions but would instead focus on the core goals and strategies that have a proven track record of success. If you don’t have a strategy for success then get one before anything else. Get help, use a professional consultant to carve the right strategy for your business.

2. No Commitment: Once you have agreed your strategy, commit to it! Any questioning of the strategy needs to have been done in the previous step. Now is the time to concentrate all your efforts and energy on seeing that strategy through. Blinkers on, head down, become the irresistible force powering towards your goals.

3. No Results: Look, if you never see a plan through to completion how can you expect it to achieve results? It cannot. Focus on an greed strategy, commit to seeing it all the way through to completion then evaluate the results.

Negative Impacts on Business

Distractions caused by Shiny Object Syndrome can be detrimental to a business in several ways:

a. Missed Opportunities: By constantly chasing new ideas, business owners may miss out on opportunities their existing strategies would have realised.

b. Financial Drain: Investing in every new trend that comes along, without a clear strategy can drain a business’s financial resources,.

c. Disheartened Teams: Constantly shifting focus and direction can demotivate employees, who may become confused about the company’s goals and lose faith in their leadership. With every new shiny solution that you introduce, their belief in you and your judgement will be further reduced.

3. Information Overload: Reduce information overload by simply refusing to look at emails, social media, and industry news that promote a new shiny distraction. File them away and only expose yourself to them when you are in the research stage in step one.

Forbes – “Realising you are experiencing shiny object syndrome means admitting that your focus is waning and you’re being pulled away by possibility and a fear of missing out.”

Your Discipline Defines Your Success

Yes this all takes discipline, but give yourself a chance and show some backbone. Focus requires discipline, commitment requires discipline but the reward will be in the glow of basking in your success.

Footnote: Having someone outside looking in to help you stay on track and bounce ideas off, is in my opinion one of the major benefits of working with a professional marketing consultant.