Have you been struck with a case of Bright Shiny Object Syndrome?
Are you chasing the next must-do business model down the proverbial rabbit hole?
It’s easy to do, because, well, it is pretty exciting.
At least at first.
That is until you realize you’re chasing another idea that is only slowing you down, and preventing you from realizing what it is you want to achieve – like seeing real results in your business.
Who doesn’t want to get excited about a new business model, formula, webinar, funnel, that sounds like just the thing to move your business forward.
We dive into it and feel the adrenaline rush.
But then that rush wears off when we don’t see the immediate results we were promised. Until, that is, something else comes along that sparks our interest, and we’re off again.
The problem with this, as you know, is that it sets us up to fail – not in a spectacular way, but by never seeing the fruit of our efforts.
When you look back you realize that you’re not any closer to your goal. I know I have been guilty of this.
I’ve always dreamed about heading out to sea.
So when my wife agreed to this I got excited and went straight out and bought a boat.
But on the same day I bought that boat, I learned all about the flip-side of shiny object syndrome, which is called buyer’s remorse.
I convinced myself that I bought the wrong boat.
I then wasted months of time thinking I could resell the boat and get another one. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I couldn’t.
I bought the boat just before the crash in 2007. Boat values suffered the same as real-estate. That expensive sailboat I bought lost over half its value almost overnight.
I was stuck with the ‘wrong boat’. I had no choice but to fix it up.
Good thing.
That boat has taken us thousands of miles and helped me realize one of my lifelong dreams of sailing the seas to deserted islands.
However, if I had been able to sell it, where would I have ended up?
I couldn’t trade that boat in for another one. I didn’t have a choice at the time. You do have choices with your business. And that is what makes it easy to get sidetracked.
When that second-guessing comes along; when you are wondering if you are on the right path, that’s when it becomes easy to follow the next shiny object that looks promising.
The Solution
The solution, as it often is, is to keep things simple. And that means taking stock of:
- Where you are now
- Where you want to go
- What means you are going to use to get there
Here are some things that I have found helpful
Plan 90 days in advance – you can have a master plan for your business, but as far as projects go, stick to three months.
Evaluate as you go. Fix and test, but don’t change course.
When the next shiny object comes along – as it always will, make note of it. However, give yourself credit for the decisions you made when you decided to follow the path you are on now.
Then give it all you’ve got.
And don’t move on to the next business model, plan, etc. until you start to see results.
Conclusion
I’ll leave you with one more thought.
What if you only had this one option (and this can be applied to many areas of your life)?
What if you were like me when I bought my boat, and there was no other alternative?
If you’re trying to grow your business, and you only had organic traffic to your website, or webinars, or Facebook advertising, or consulting, etc., would you be able to make one of those work?
The answer is yes, you could make it work. Just like I did with the boat.
Nothing is more discouraging than wasting time.
On the flip side, nothing is more exciting than putting time and effort into something, and then seeing it pay off. And it will if you stay focused.
When you make a decision, trust that it is the right one. Tenacity is the name of the game.
And lastly, no matter what business model you are working towards, you’re going to need a list. Download your free List Builders Cheat Sheet now.
Talk soon,
J. Peter White
