If you’ve ever veered off course because something new and shiny caught your attention, this episode is for you. We’re exploring how to spot shiny object syndrome in the moment, why it derails your progress, and how a few grounded, intentional questions can help you choose your path instead of being pulled off it.

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Welcome to Unfrazzle.

I'm your host Louise Miller, and one of the ways in which I'm creating space to enjoy my summer is by having a break from recording new podcast episodes for a while.

Instead, I'm doing an Unfrazzle Summer Rewind, sharing some of my favourite episodes from the last year.

So if you're hearing them for the first time, I hope you find them helpful.

And if you've heard them before, perhaps you'll take something different from them the second time around.

So have an amazing summer and I'll be back in your ears with new episodes soon.

Have you ever done that thing where you got all excited about something?

Whether it's a new piece of long form content like a blog or a video you'd love to create, maybe a new offer or an idea for a lead magnet that you just know your favorite people to work with would absolutely love, and you started to work on it.

And then one day you're scrolling your socials and you see a very compelling post about a new strategy that's working right now, or a new idea flies into your head, or one that in that moment feels even more exciting than the thing you're already doing.

And before you know it, you've abandoned whatever project you are working on and chased after the new thing like a dog chasing a squirrel.

That, my friend, is Shiny Object Syndrome.

So I'm sure we all are familiar with the concept of Shiny Object syndrome, but just in case you're not, Wikipedia defines that as the situation where people focus undue attention on an idea that is new and trendy, yet drop it in its entirety as soon as something new can take its place.

So for us solo business owners, I'm not sure the idea needs to be trendy to attract our attention.

The fact that it's something different to the thing that we're working on, the thing that's perhaps starting to feel a bit boring or difficult, that in itself can be enough to entice us away.

And if you're susceptible to Shiny Object Syndrome, the danger is that you'll leave a trail of half finished projects in your wake.

And we all know that lots of half finished things don't put money in the bank, right?

So how do you avoid it?

And how do you even recognize it in the first place?

After all, there is a fine line between chasing shiny objects and exploring new ideas with purpose.

Well, your first line of defense against Shiny Object Syndrome is your vision.

So knowing what you want your life and your business to look and feel like, and then connecting to that often that will make it easier to know whether that shiny new thing is aligned with the direction you want to be heading in.

And the next thing you can do is to always know your main priority so that you can sit down at your desk every day with clarity around what you're working on.

So instead of scrolling or looking for inspiration and seeing what takes your fancy, bring some intention into your days by planning what you're working on.

In other words, deciding what gets your attention instead of allowing that to be dictated by outside forces.

And the more in control you feel over what you're working on, the less likely you are to fall down rabbit holes, because you'll have a strong sense of purpose that compels you to stay focused.

And if it helps, you can write what you're working on on a post it and put that somewhere you can see it.

Anything you can do to remind yourself of your main priority will help you to avoid distraction.

And another way to avoid shiny object syndrome is to pause often.

No surprises there.

Of course I'm going to talk about pausing.

It's my favourite subject because it can help us with so many different productivity drains, if you like, and this is particularly helpful when you think you might be about to start chasing a squirrel when something new and exciting crosses your path, catches your eye and you're tempted to follow it.

Before you start skipping after it, take a pause.

Ask yourself if the thing that's caught your eye would move you closer to your vision or further away?

Is it going to support you in meeting the goal that you're working on right now, or will it slow you down?

You could also do a spot of journaling at this point.

Actually, I find it helps to write all of this stuff down because that helps me to clearly see what's going on in my head.

You might ask questions like, why am I being tempted away from the thing I'm meant to be working on?

Is it because I'm bored and I'm seeking novelty?

Is it because I want to run away from the discomfort that I'm feeling right now?

Does this new thing feel easy when the thing I'm supposed to be doing has started to feel difficult?

What am I avoiding?

And another great thing to ask yourself is, what happens if I say yes to this shiny new thing?

And what happens if I don't?

So taking a pause to ask yourself those questions might feel like overkill in the moment, but it will allow you to see your patterns, to notice where you're holding yourself back.

Because the compulsion to run towards things that feel fun and easy and comfortable keeps winning over being in the discomfort and stretching yourself and, dare I say it, pushing through the boredom to get the thing finished.

Finished.

And then, once you've taken that moment to be honest with yourself about what's really happening when you're tempted by shiny objects, then you get to choose.

You could either change direction, follow the new thing, and see where it takes you, or you could choose to stick with the project you're working on, even if it doesn't feel good right now, remembering that five unfinished projects equals no money in the bank and one finished project equals money in the bank.

So instead of allowing shiny object syndrome to get in the way of your progress, remember you always have a choice.

And as always, I hope that this helps and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you for listening to Unfrazzle.

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So thanks so much for your support and I look forward to seeing you next time.