Shiny object syndrome is a temporary disease that affects every marketer at some point or another. You know the feeling, you open your email and see a headline so good it literally puts butterflies in your stomach and a big goofy smile across your face.
“Newbie Uses Secret Spy Tool To Make $3,478.64 On Autopilot While Being Fed Grapes By The Pool”
YES! Finally, you’ve found the opportunity that’s going to change your life forever right? One front end and two OTOs later you realize this is simply not the truth. A couple days pass, you dust off your credit card and repeat the cycle over and over again.
Look, I get it. I have been there before too. Internet marketers often feel pressured to be everywhere and master everything, but trying to do this will only leave you broke and back to this article again.
If you or someone you know is currently feeling caught up in the matrix. This article is for you. Today we will be discussing 5 tips for how to get rid of shiny object syndrome. They include unsubscribing from email lists, prioritizing, finding a proven program or mentor to follow, self-discipline, and goal setting.
Unsubscribe From Email Lists
Unsubscribing from email lists is one key to decreasing distraction because it causes it to begin with. Depending on how many lists your subscribed to, you could easily be receiving 50 to 100 emails per day. The problem with that is only a few of these will actually be helpful. To keep your inbox tidy and distraction-free, take advantage of unsubscribing by:
Creating a separate email address. Use it for marketing emails only.
Evaluate and use these emails as competitive analysis.
Unsubscribe to email lists when no value added follow up emails appear.
Note: It is ok to stay on a few lists that really provide value to you.
Following these simple rules will increase productivity, focus, and ensure that email is a tool to be used as opposed to a shiny object.
Set Some Priorities
Focusing on just a few things is one of the hardest things to do when suffering from shiny object syndrome. Therefore, it is critical to prioritize and determine what you actually NEED to learn.
Prioritization is a significant part of productivity. Pick the most important priorities and focus on those. By whittling down the priorities to those that are most important, the chances of reaching those goals become more likely because the time has been set aside for them.
Being a lifelong learner is a positive thing. But it can feed into shiny object syndrome if there are too many books to read or courses to take. Drill down on what you need to learn in order to accomplish a specific goal and focus all of your energy into that. Everything else can fall by the wayside.
If you are someone that has to mind that loves to wander, try creating an idea parking lot. An idea parking lot is a place to keep ideas that come up. Multiple ideas are a definite productivity killer because most of them are not at a stage where they can be acted upon.
Carry around a notebook or create a document that can serve as a repository for ideas and keep them there. When an idea is needed, simply return to the idea parking lot and choose one.
Find A Proven Program or Mentor To Follow
There are a million ways to make money online, but which method will work best for you? Finding a proven program that consistently produces results for the individuals following the training is a great place to start. In addition, having a mentor can dramatically speed up your learning curve and keep you from wasting a lot of time or money trying to learn things the hard way.
Stop trying to reinvent the wheel and simply follow a system that is already working for others.
Self-Discipline
Discipline is essential to an internet marketer’s success. Without some form of discipline, it is difficult to be productive. One of the best ways to institute self-discipline is to simply ask yourself if tasks are worth your time. For example:
Checking Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn for the tenth time in a day.
Writing a new blog post for your website on best marketing practices.
Playing a game on your phone.
Creating a quote in response to a client inquiry.
Writing a new blog post or responding to a client inquiry are the tasks that are worth your time because they are part of getting business done. By understanding what is a priority, you can set dedicated work and downtime for yourself instead of working long hours that may not be productive.
Goal-Setting
Goal-setting goes hand in hand with self-discipline because setting specific goals will help keep you on track. Set your goals using SMART:
Specific– Set specific short-term and long-term goals. A specific long-term goal is to attain ten new clients in the next 5 months. The short-term goal might be to set up a new campaign on social media in the next week or two in order to attract new clients.
Measurable– All of your goals should be measurable. In the above example, you would need to land 2 new clients per month to reach a goal of 10. You can use tools such as website and social media analytics to measure the effectiveness of your efforts to attract new clients.
Attainable– Keep your goals attainable. You may set a long-term goal that is slightly out of reach. But your short-term goals should be achievable. This ensures that you won’t be tempted to reach for another shiny object if you fall short.
Relevant– All of the goals you set should be relevant to where you want to go with your marketing career and your life. Put your time, money, and efforts into things that support your main goal.
Time-Based– Set deadlines for yourself. Goals will only be measurable, attainable, and relevant with deadlines. If you’re not meeting your goals by set deadlines, then they should be reevaluated.
Determining how to get rid of shiny object syndrome first requires you recognize that you have it and secondly make a commitment to do something about it. Put down that credit card and follow the 5 tips discussed above.
If you or someone you care about is suffering from shiny object syndrome, use the social media buttons to share this article with them. Friends don’t let friends drive into the shiny light!
Until next time, JUST SAY NO TO THAT OTO!
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