Stop Chasing Shiny Objects and Just Commit

One way to kill your focus is to never allow it to remain in one place for any meaningful amount of time.  There is no surer path to failure.

Whatever you are choosing to do at the moment is being done at the expense of all other activities you could be spending your time on.  As a result, you need to become proficient in your ability to block out all distractions that come your way.  

You have to figure out how to suppress the desire to bounce from one thing to the next, scratching the surface on everything but learning nothing.  This may be easier said than done in a world that is designed to capture your attention at every turn, but it is critical to remember if you want to pursue anything worthwhile. 

The core reason you are likely chasing the shiny object is because you are not sold on the belief that what you are currently doing could actually work.  Another reason is that jumping from one area to the next masquerades as progress so you delude yourself into thinking you are going places when in reality you’re just spinning in circles.  In this case however, motion is mistaken for action; the dopamine rush that comes with the promise of starting something new, does not help.  The keyword here is starting. 

If you do nothing beyond that first step it’s like saying you want to take over the world but not being able to tend to your own backyard.  Stated differently, you live at an inch deep and a mile wide, constantly scanning the horizon looking for the next best thing.  But why is that next thing so appealing in the first place? 

There are a couple of reasons.  First, it sets the trap and makes you second-guess the value of what you are currently doing – “Why have I invested so much time into this?”   Then, it lures you in by offering a proposed alternative to your current state – “If I was just doing THAT, I would be successful.”  Finally, it catches you firmly in its grasp and gains your acceptance – “This is definitely the way to do it.” 

Before you know it, you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole on the topic, subscribed to fifteen newsletters in the space, and have invested in three separate intensive courses designed to teach you everything you need to know to hit the ground running.  Remember, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.  Yet here you are, back at square one again.  Just like last time and the time before that, if you don’t get the instant success you’re craving the cycle will repeat itself all over again. 

What do you do about it though?  The primary weapon in your arsenal has to be discipline.  If you have the mental fortitude to stick to one major thing for an extended period of time, through the highs and the lows that you expect to come, your odds will increase exponentially.  Easier said than done, but with the right combination of attention, willpower, interest, belief and commitment the shiny object syndrome can be defeated.