Back in 2021 I was struggling to find my path in this new and strange world of online business.
First it was copywriting.
Then white paper writing.
Then site content audits.
Then Web3 writing.
And plenty of other stuff
Before landing on email.
I tell you what…
I was glad when my money ran out.
Because I had been in this near-constant state of…
“I need that course…”
“I need that book…”
“I need that software…”
“I need to learn that strategy…”
“No… that one.”
The addiction was real. And meant I was giving those shiny-object stealin’ magpies a run for their money.
On and on this “Shiny Object Syndrome” cycle went.
What with that flitting from one thing to the next…
And justifying that it’s absolutely what I need right now for my growth and progress.
If you ask me…
It’s at plague-level proporations amongst business owners.
Some say it’s rooted in FOMO. Fear of missing out on things. Like the next opportunity to make the big bucks.
So we buy stuff that’s supposedly going to help.
My take is…
It’s mainly rooted in a lack of confidence.
Because I see it as an outworking good old “Imposter Syndrome.”
And when we feel inadequate to do something… this causes pain… so we look for pain relief.
Distractions help provide relief.
Shiny Object Syndrome is just another form of distraction.
Like doomscrolling on TikTok. Or taking our mind off things with a little retail therapy.
It allows us to move our attention away from the hard thing we’re doing… the thing that’s causing us a painful time as we’re trying to learn and grow.
And most insidiously…
The shiny objects we’re attracted to can often be related to the type of work we’re pursuing.
So we can be lulled into thinking we’re doing something that’s supporting our progress when — 9 times out of 10 — it’s not.
This can be crippling.
I felt it. And I’m thankful that the cycle was short-circuited for me.
The circuit-breaker?
Simply… taking action.
MASSIVE ACTION!
We can all decide to do this.
Lean into it. Acknowledge it. Know you’re not the best. Or haven’t mastered things yet.
But do the hard stuff anyway.
You have to do the boring, repetitive stuff to learn, grow, and build a business that will look after you.
We all have to face down our fear. And smash it right between the eyeballs!
Ready to build your email list? Go here…
EmailForTheWin.com
Chris Milham