Shiny Object Syndrome Anyone Have It?

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Whenever I used to buy a product I would start implementing it and start to get excited at some of the results but then just as things were ticking along another email arrives in your inbox promoting the next best thing since Simon Cowell quit pop idol

I used to have shiny object syndrome, I think this is the biggest fail factor in many Internet marketers rise to success.

I found I had to get a new temporary email address and delete everything but the system I was going to concentrate on from my pc and only then was I able to apply the methods a 100%

Does anyone find it hard to apply his or her focus on one system with so many WSO's and Guru launches that happen on a daily basis
#main internet marketing discussion forum #object #shiny #syndrome
  • It's my biggest problem. :-)
  • i think it is just a matter of spending more time DOING marketing than anything else.

    we all learn my reading and studying, but most learn much faster by doing.

    and you will find the more you DO marketing, the easier it is to spot the BS wso and other products that probably wont work as advertised.

    when you just study and DO very little, its easy to think you are missing the secret. especially if you keep bombarding yourself with all the top quality sales pitches.

    most gurus wont like my advice. but the first thing i tell anyone attempting to make money online is to pick 2-5 people to follow. stay on their lists and try to build some relationships.

    unsubscribe from the rest. you will miss out on some freebies, but your additional focus will more than makeup for it.

    the next thing you need to do is get an accountability partner. ideally this person would know more than you. but the main key is that you be accountable to someone.

    you need to have to answer to someone else why you spent 30 hours last week learning marketing and not doing a damn thing to make money.
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  • Been there done that. Everyone of us have possibly gone through this at some point in time. The moment you realize, make a conscious decision to avoid anything that you wouldn't be able to implement right away. Good that you are already doing it.
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    • Yes, I had it. As soon as I got rid of it, I found success. It is so gratifying to master a strategy BEFORE moving on to a new one rather than trying this then that to see if something works.

      In a similar thread on the forum, I saw this analogy. When you cook, you don't start a recipe then leave it sitting there unfinished to try a new one over and over again. If you did, you would trash your kitchen in a hurry Oh, and you'd probably be hungry too.
  • Too many people have it . I used to have it but i have calm down now and let to focus on my business rather than somebody elses opportunity. It is very common when things are going extremely slow and you are hardly making any profit you and then you get email saying somebody has made $5000 in 5 days and you feel that the grass is greener on the other side so you go to the sales page and you purchase only to find out that it wasn't as easy as they painted it to be

    Shiny object syndrome is a totally wasted time and money
  • It happens in most things I have a friend who trades the forex market and is always hopping on the next big push button Forex robot
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    • Oh boy this is déjà vú feeling. Yes unfortunately I too suffered and still struggling not to buy every new "gold" opportunaty that appears in my e-mails.
      This situation was so uncontrolled that a while ago I decided to unsubscribe of every IM list.

      Now I have a written plan and I try to stick it with it, I must confess that it is still not easy but I am doing my best not to jump to the next so called "opportunity".

      What is working for me is to have my goals and path written and read them everyday so I don't loose track where I want to go.
      Cheers
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  • You bet!

    It used to be one of my biggest obstacles - buying some new "system" and ignoring one that was delivering results. I wasted a lot of time, money and potential earnings.

    Now I have an action plan and formula that I follow and dedicate roughly 80% of my time to. I've made truckloads more money since.

    Now my biggest problem is that I'll still fork over the money for a new plugin or software but then let it sit on my harddrive without properly going through the training an implementing it!
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    • You should be asking does anyone not have it!

      I've been on courses, workshops and in mastermind groups and hardly anyone I've met or corresponded with has not experienced this. The worst case was a guy who could have bought a flat with what he had spent on shiny objects and he was still buying. In the past year he's disappeared without a trace. Perhaps his credit card sent the boys round.

      Deleting all your emails except the info you want to concentrate on has been a big step forward for me as well.

      Something else that helped was listing what I had already bought. When you're looking at a list of over 20 things you've not implemented yet and wondering how the heck you're going to get round to doing them all, it's obvious that buying more is the last thing you should do.
  • I use to have that problem severely and I was a serial refunder as well. But now, after being a seasoned marketer, all of those hyped up products and emails turn me off big time. It's crazy how they continue to catch people's attention. It's best to just solely focus on making a plan and sticking with it as well as getting a coach.
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    • Absolutely, a lot of people have this.

      What I found works - and it was a little difficult at first because its not "just" the shiny objects but a lot of emails etc....

      I shut my email off and turn it on 2-3 times a day (morning, noon, night kinda thing). Some days that works better than others LOL - but when I do, I get a lot done.

      Same with my messenger - at times, I just have to shut it off, even though I don't chat much, it is easy to get distracted. (Since its usually my programmer anyway, we both go through spurts where we tell each other we're shutting off for a while to stop "random thought" interruptions).

      Also - I found that <gasp> keeping the warrior forum closed from my browser for a few months at a time works too. Of course, then you come back in for a reason, and its addicting (even to participate)... so sometimes that has to be shut off too.

      Lastly - what doesn't help (and this royally ticks me off), is when you HAVE given a person your email address, because perhaps you bought from them, and then you subscribe to their list perhaps with a different email address....

      and they feel they have the right to violate your privacy and sell your name/email WITHOUT your permission... to other marketers, who also try to sell you "shiny objects".

      Unfortunately, that's huge with warriors at times and I really wish it would stop. Because quite frankly, it DOES make me want to NOT do business with warriors unless they STATE that they won't sell it. (And stick to it).

      There's a well known marketer on the net (I won't say his name), but it doesn't matter how many times you unsubscribe from him, 3-4 months later you're added back in.... to distract you again. GRRRR.

      Rant of the day done.

      Ahh I needed that LOL

      Now everyone, shut off and get work done! :p

      Amber
  • Do I have Shiny Object Syndrome? Only with cars and the ladies!

    More seriously. I think those who are constantly buying new products don't actually have an online business--they simply have a desire to make money online.

    I have an online business, so I only buy things that further my business along.

    If you think that buying a product is going to give you a business to run, boy, you sure do got another thing coming. And that's the truth, not some cynical banter to discourage you from internet marketing.

    Get involved with a business tract that works, like affiliate marketing for example. Then, only buy products or services that benefit that business tract. Is a product on how to rank your articles higher than everyone else going to help your business? If so, then buy it.

    But if your simply buying that product to "create a business" from what you are going to learn then you WILL lose focus and you WILL move on to another idea. I can almost guarantee that.

    Proper implementation of ideas is far more beneficial than just "taking action" to see what sticks and what doesn't.
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    • [1] reply
    • I believe it was Exrat I first heard this off but it all stops, the day you decide to make the transition from a consumer, to a marketer.
  • Shiny Object Syndrome - tell me about it. It is one off the biggest problems with internet marketing.
    The secret to internet marketing is about having a process, and sticking to it. It can become mundane, and that is when "shiny objects" and the promise of short cuts can knock you off your path.
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    • But remember, recognizing the problem is 75% of the cure !! Good lcuk
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  • My wife has it.

    Do you have a WSO on how to get rid of it?

    I've got $37 right here for you if you do.

    (10,000 peeps on the forum right this second, 6000 in the WSO section.)

    Just sayin'.
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    • It's called a Business Plan! LOL You can deposit the $37 in my BloggingPro BEER Budget account anytime before the weekend!
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  • Who Hasn't Had This . Deal With It Early !!
  • i've definitely got such problem
  • I also have that problem, although I am getting better (I think). I have found if i stay away from opening my email I do much better.
  • Yes, Shiny Object Syndrome has hit the UK too!
    I've found the only way to avoid getting caught up with SOS is to only follow what your trusted IM'ers recommend.
    Pick one shiny new object from a reliable source and follow it through - job done - niche tried and tested - result (hopefully!)
  • Cool name - shiny object syndrome. I had a bad case of it for years. It didn't really make me any money. Focusing on my already profitable activities is what worked the best. I still browse the WSO section occasionally, though.
  • I was walking my kids to school this morning and actually thinking about starting a similar thread...

    Yes, I think everyone goes through this phase. It can is one of the biggest success killers because apart from the obvious, it drains your bank account and wastes precious time.

    Time is the single most important, non renewable resource we have.

    ... And this syndrome does not only apply to on line products, it also applies to offline stuff such as iPhones and other techno gadgets.

    These days, I hardly buy anything unless I am 100% sure I will (a) use it and (b) it will benefit my bottom line.

    I guess for many starting out, it happens whilst they try to find the right "mix" that works for them, they can do, and they feel comfortable doing. It's to be expected in many ways.

    However, failure to go beyond this phase is a recipe for instant failure.

    Getting over it requires a behavioural shift and for some it's easy, but for others, it's difficult.

    Here's how I dealt with it...

    1 - I unsubscribed to almost everyone. No longer take emails from no-names.

    2 - I determined a short list of "valuable" people and stayed on their list.

    3- Carefully analyze any offer for reasons mentioned above.

    4 - no longer get sucked in by slick sales copy and tricks.

    5 - Set up a separate folder on Outlook for these emails and only read them on Friday.

    6 - Once I found my feet, I stopped looking at alternatives. I stuck to it.

    #6 is probably the most difficult challenge for people.

    That's my 20 cents worth. Hope it is helpful to some.

    Regards,

    Sal
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    • Yes it happens because as Eben Pagan said, "Humans are wired for distraction". Seeking the next shiny object is a form of distraction, even if we can talk ourselves into thinking it's learning so it's ok. Reality is that learning happens only when you do it. So aim to havea 1:1 ratio, for one hour spent learning, put into action for 1 hour.
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    Shiny Object Syndrome Anyone Have It?

    Whenever I used to buy a product I would start implementing it and start to get excited at some of the results but then just as things were ticking along another email arrives in your inbox promoting the next best thing since Simon Cowell quit pop idol I used to have shiny object syndrome, I think this is the biggest fail factor in many Internet marketers rise to success.