Shiny object Syndrome

We’ve all fallen prey to the shiny object. Trying to research your next vacation spot and know that you want to go somewhere tropical. First you think your only choice is Hawaii, but then you see an ad for a resort in Mexico. Then after you click on the resort in Mexico, you see an ad for an all inclusive resort in the Caribbean. So now what? 

Do you spend A LOT of time researching three locations, Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean or do you commit to one spot and buy a flight, book a hotel and start planning some activities? 

This is a classic example of shiny object syndrome. You start doing something and get distracted by something else and then get distracted again and again. STOP DOING THIS! 

As an author, shiny object syndrome can come in so many different forms. Are you distracted by creating the perfect office before you start writing your next book? Are you distracted by doing endless amounts of research on your non-fiction book but haven’t written even an outline of your book for your agent? Or maybe, you are trying every marketing strategy under the sun to only find that none of them are working.  

This, my friend, is the attraction of the shiny object. Focusing on something new and getting distracted from the original goal happens to the best of us. But in order to get the result you want, you have to FOCUS and EXECUTE.  

Committing to a plan and a strategy for at least 30 days should be the minimum.  If you’re creating a routine, it takes on average 21 days to create a new habit. If you’re trying to create a marketing process, test it and see how it works, it will take approximately three months for you to execute and see the fruits of your marketing labor. 

Marketing isn’t doing one thing once. It’s doing a lot of things often to create a consistent brand and voice.  And once you get good at doing the marketing thing consistently (whether that’s posting on social media, pinning on Pinterest or sending out a weekly e-newletters), you can really start to test and see what your audience likes.  

I have run into many Shiny Objects that steal my attention and time. And often when I start, it’s like going down a rabbit hole. One shiny object leads to another. The best way that I’ve found to stop is by refocusing and thinking about my goal. Are these shiny objects leading me to my goals? Usually not. Or is it just a distraction from doing the actual work?  Once I start doing the work, it’s not so bad. Tasks can feel huge and overwhelming. But, if I break them down into small steps, they really do feel more manageable and achievable. 

The advice here is going to be: pick a strategy and stick with it for 90 days. 90 days will give you time to build the habit and then adjust it to fit your marketing. Send me an email with your strategy or what you want to be accountable for and I’ll email you in 30, 60 and 90 days to see how you’re doing with your goal.