How To Avoid The "Shiny Object Cycle" So You Can Hit Your Goals Faster

How To Avoid The "Shiny Object Cycle" So You Can Hit Your Goals Faster

I keep going around in circles.

On Thursday afternoon I was looking for something in my notebook. As I went back through the pages I noticed a pattern of behaviour that I was repeating.

I would have a "breakthrough" on what business I was going to start, followed by writing enthusiastic words of encouragement to myself, and then... nothing.

At first, it was building landing pages for fitness brands, next it was becoming an online personal trainer, then it was building a personal brand around fitness.

These are all ideas that would work, but none of them did because, within a few weeks, I had moved on to the next "breakthrough" idea.

The undeniable evidence of my inconsistency was a bitter pill to swallow.

Even worse, I could also see that I'm repeating similar patterns right now.

I realised that if I was going to break the cycle of shiny object syndrome I was going to need a plan.

Making a Plan You Can Actually Stick To

If you don't make a plan you'll continue to repeat the same patterns. Never achieving the many goals I'm sure you have in life. Think "Groundhog Day" but for self-improvement.

Making a plan that you can follow prevents you from losing sight of what's important. It will serve as a map that you can follow to get back on track.

Succeed in doing this and you'll hit literally every goal you set. No task will be too great. It just becomes a matter of time before you get there.

Now, I'll share with you exactly what I'm doing to ensure I don't keep making the same mistakes.

#1 Define Your North Star

It's so important to have a point in the distance that you can look to when you feel lost. Make it something meaningful that you feel an emotional connection to.

Superficial goals like Ferrari's and private jets can motivate you at first but become useless when things get tough.

Get a pen and paper and write down:

1. The first iteration of your "perfect" life

2. How much you need to make every month to live it

3. Your dream career or business that will provide you with that money

From here you'll have a clear idea of where you want to go, how much it's going to cost, and what you're going to do to get there.

Now for the next step.

#2. Remind Yourself Daily

This is the most important step by far. If you don't remind yourself daily, you will lose sight of what you're working on and end up back at square one.

Here's what to do:

1. Create a vision board

2. Write a 1-page affirmation

3. Review both every morning and evening

A vision board is a collection of photos that represent your dream life. I made mine using Google Slides.

I appreciate that the term "affirmation" can sound airy-fairy but if you do it right it can be fiercely practical.

Craft a specific statement that reflects your goals, mindset, and exactly what you're going to do to get there.

You must read your affirmation and look at your vision board every morning and evening.

Now for the final step:

#3. Avoid Overconsumption

"Focus is simply the absence of distraction." - Sam Ovens

Overconsumption is sabotaging your ability to focus and think clearly.

You have brain fog because you're reading a book, listening to 3 different podcasts, halfway through 5 online courses, and watching 10-20 YouTube videos every day.

You've got to give your mind space in order to think clearly. Here are some steps you can follow straight away:

1. Uninstall all apps that you consume information from

2. Spend a few days without consuming anything at all

3. Limit your consumption to only what you need

Conclusion

If you actually implement these steps into your life you will start to notice when you're losing focus and gain the ability to guide yourself back on track.

Working on the same thing for a (very) long time is the surest way I know to succeed.

That’s why it’s so important not to go off-piste and maintain focus for long periods of time.

I hope this serves you and as always, let me know if you have any questions and I will be more than happy to help.

Cheers,

Oliver.