Breaking The Cycle Of The Shiny Object Syndrome

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Breaking The Cycle Of The Shiny Object Syndrome

I am so excited to be back with solo episodes. I know I was publishing interviews. I want to be thankful that I had all those interviews in the backlog. One of the reasons why I was publishing the interviews and not the solo episodes is because I have been so busy creating and launching my digital course, Discover Your Purpose Program. It is an experience and a transformation also for the students. I have had live Q&As for every module release on a weekly basis. There is a lot of thought put into this digital course. This is not a digital course that I recorded, and people are going through it. Yes, that's part of it but it's also having an experience about it. We are going to have graduation too.

I have to be honest, it has been a lot of work because I wanted to do it well. I invested in a $2,000 Digital Course Academy from one of my marketing mentors, Amy Porter Field. It was such a huge enabler for me to create this digital course because I wanted to do a comprehensive digital course. I wanted to create a digital product that could transform people's lives by simplifying what I do with my one-on-one coaching clients. I love one-on-one coaching clients. I don't think that's something I'm going to move away from anytime soon because that's the core of my business. I truly love it.

At the same time, I wanted to create a product that was more affordable for people and that produced the same results in a way. It has been a lot of fun and a busy time in my life. My fiancé and I are getting married too, so a lot of personal and work things are going on at the same time. I'm so happy to be back because I miss doing these solo episodes.

I want to welcome Episode 29. I cannot believe I created this show after transitioning from my corporate career to full-time entrepreneurship. By the way, it has been a while since I made that decision and took action on it. I will be recording another episode on my first year, the behind-the-scenes of my first year, from that transition from corporate to full-time entrepreneurship.

Let's focus on our topic. Our topic is how to overcome the Shiny Object syndrome. These were something that a lot of you have asked for. It is also a pattern that I noticed that most of us run to get away from the real work that we need to do within ourselves. We live in a society full of distractions and often are faced with an overload of information. Everyone has an opinion. There is always something dramatic going on. Let's be honest.

It leads to exhaustion, confusion, and lack of clarity. Part of this is because we are constantly bombarded by new options, information, and technologies. We are used to running this pattern of pursuing the next shiny thing even before finishing and having that completion energy of the previous thing we purchased, experienced or went through.

The external world is a projection of what's going on within ourselves.

 

We are going to discuss how we can overcome the Shiny Object syndrome. It's going to be a very relevant topic to the world we live in. The Shiny Objects syndrome is such a major roadblock for you to gain clarity on your purpose and even live an intentional life. It's going to be a great episode. As I mentioned, this is an unhealthy pattern that we often run that distracts us from the real work we’ve got to do within.

I'm going to explain how. In this Shiny Object syndrome, we can do with anything we choose and relationships with people. It's something that I've done this way. I'm going to be completely honest. This is my obsession, personal development training. The next strategy, even mental health techniques, all these certifications that I've gotten, when I look back at my life and all the years building this business on the side of my full-time career, definitely I used to run this pattern with personal development training. I am in love with them. I'm going to explain what I was running away from because there is a reason, a meaning behind the Shiny Object syndrome.

We are always seeking the next shiny object with the hope that we will feel the craving we have for doing better. Behind the Shiny Object syndrome, there is a meaning that we are giving to getting the next best thing. As I always mentioned, the external world is a projection of what's going on within ourselves. Even the triggers that you get outside, judgments that you made outside of you, when you judge something or get triggered with a situation outside yourself, it means that there is a lack of harmony within yourself.

That thing that you are judging or getting triggered by is something inside yourself. It is like a wound that you have that you need to work through that. I think this is a very empowering principle because it means that everything outside of us is an opportunity to grow within us every single time. The Shiny Object syndrome is something that we are searching for with the intention to become whole but we never become whole doing these things.

First of all, we are whole already but have this limiting belief that there is something missing within us. The society also reinforces this limiting belief. The first thing we need to recognize is that we are whole and already have everything we need. By the way, the work we need to do is inside, not outside. With all these personal development training that I was purchasing over and over, I was getting my coaching certifications and learning new techniques. There was a point in my life when I realized that I was running away from executing and creating my business because I wanted to live in a constant learning zone.

I wanted to live in a theoretical world. At the time of applying it, I’m getting the return on investment because the intention behind me taking all these personal development courses was growing, creating my business, and helping other people in finding their purpose, and live a fulfilled life. I’m helping people master their inner world. I was running away from the implementation from the consistent action. That is something that I observed that many people experience and don't even realize it.

When they realize the pattern and the momentum they have built with that pattern is so strong that they don't take the time, energy, and resources to controvert these unhealthy patterns that are stopping us from living our best life. The completion energy that's something that we are always seeking, that wholeness, that experiencing completion energy but we never get there because we are always seeking the next thing to do. We are always seeking the next course to buy.

I have many clients who I'm friends with that have bought digital courses and never finished them. By the way, most people who buy digital courses, unfortunately, never finish them. Why would you invest in something that you don't follow through on? Let me tell you something, this pattern that you run with a digital course or even with a book, with training or a business is a pattern that you are also running in other areas of your life, in your relationships, career, and physical health. Why? You are one person. How you behave in one area of life, you behave in the others.

It's a never-ending cycle of you wanting the next thing, promotion or business opportunity. It is okay to grow. I'm all about growing, experiencing new things, and having new ambitious goals. Part of that is also achieving the completion energy of fully executing one thing before moving into the next. If not, we run these patterns of starting and never finishing things. Let me tell you, that will bring a lack of fulfillment and confidence in you being able to execute things and follow through.

This happens unconsciously. Sorry for being redundant but when you are in the pattern of starting things and never finishing them, your unconscious mind is building a limiting belief at the same time that you are not capable of following through. Why? That's exactly what you are proving yourself when you keep doing this over and over. My friend, it is time to break that pattern and overcome that Shiny Object syndrome. Let me tell you why you need to overcome it.

You keep doing the same thing, expecting different results. You find yourself in the same place of looking back and seeing yourself starting, purchasing, and doing all these things over and over. They are not delivering congruent, aligned, and consistent results for you. If you want different results, you’ve got to do different things. Part of that is overcoming this Shiny Objects syndrome.

By the way, I always try to do personal development training every year. That's the most for me because that's an investment of my money and energy. I truly believe that it helps my business and myself. In the past, I was going through all these personal development trainings and not executing on the information I was given. I was there to learn and have a new awareness.

How you behave in one area of life, you behave in the others.

 

Putting things into action that's what real knowledge happens. I always tell my coaching clients, digital course students, and mentees that knowledge is potential power but do you know what real power is? That's action and putting the knowledge into action. Many times, we run away from doing that. Part of this process is to put the knowledge into action and experience it.

The only thing that we believe to be the truth in our experience. It’s no one else's knowledge because people's knowledge may not work for us. I tell my coaching clients, “Do not believe me. Believe your experience based on the techniques that we are doing, the mindset transformation, the career, on the life transformation that you are having.” That's what you need to believe. That's why I have a toolbox of techniques because if one doesn't work, I have another. It's going to happen no matter what. That's my mindset. Based on my experience, that's what always happens.

I remember at the same time, back in 2015, I’ve got certified as a coach, speaker, and trainer under the John Maxwell team. That same year, I purchased a $5,000 mentorship with another friend. Funny enough, we were running the pattern of the Shiny Object syndrome. We purchased a membership for $5,000 and barely went to three calls, seriously. When I look back, I'm like, "What a waste of time and energy." Those events led me to learn so much about myself and the patterns I was running in the past. Literally, we went to 3 or 4 calls, and that was it.

It took me a little bit to break this cycle of overcoming the Shiny Object syndrome. I'm going to share with you what are the things and the elements that I worked on to get there. You can live again more fulfilled, joyful, and intentional. The intention is a must and purpose-driven life. The first one, when you notice yourself running this pattern, I believe you are reading this because you are probably running it. By the way, I truly believe everyone, at some point in their life, has run these patterns.

If you are running this pattern now in your life or even if you have running in the past, you can ask yourself, “What is the void that I'm trying to feel by pursuing the next shiny object? What am I after? Is this a sense of I want to be whole? Are these a sense of I want to fit in society?” I need to get everything else that everyone is getting at the same time they are. “What is your intention? What is the meaning behind you running this pattern of the Shiny Object syndrome? What are you running away from?” That's another great question. Remember, the quality of our life is related directly to the quality of the questions we are asking ourselves.

Even when we are observing unhealthy patterns, we’ve got to ask the right questions to uncover the deep-rooted issue that you are running away from at that time. For me, I was running away from executing and getting a return on my investment. Believe me, and I’ve spent more than $50,000 on training, personal development, mentors, and coaches. I truly believe in investing in myself because it has changed my life. There was a moment when you’ve got to put those things into action and show up consistently and execute to design the life you are meant to live. I believe that. I have to be aware of that to break that pattern.

Another reason why I was running that pattern is that this was the deeper limiting belief, the deeper baggage. At that moment, I was running that pattern because I believed I was not enough to create a business, transition careers or do something I had never done in my life. I believed I was not enough. When I released that baggage, that's when things started to change, and a new level of awareness started to pop into my life. That's so important, asking the question, “What is the meaning behind you following that Shiny Object syndrome? What are you running away from?”

We are always seeking distractions because we are running away from something we know we have to do. A lot of times, my friends, it’s that inside work. It's that work that we know we have to do within. Many people also run away from being in silence. They are distracted and addicted to the noise going on. The Shiny Object syndrome is definitely part of that noise. How do you overcome these? The first thing is to ask yourself the right questions. “What am I running away from?”

I'm going to ask you another question. “Are you willing to face that which you know you have to work on?” I want you to be honest with yourself because when we look for the truth and follow our own truth, that's when transformation happens. The other part is about focusing on the foundation and mastering the basics. The Shiny Object syndrome is also about, "What is the latest technology? What is the latest technique?"

My question to you is, “Have you mastered the basics of that technique to go to the next level of complexity?” We always want to do more when sometimes we don't have a strong foundation yet. I had this coaching client who had started meditating because all my coaching clients started that practice of meditation. It's a must for everyone who is looking to get to know themselves and tap into that inner wisdom so they can live at their highest potential, whatever that may be for every person. It's different for every person.

I remember she was starting to practice breathing and meditation. After three months, she was like, "Yanet, I’ve got this breathing thing done. What is the next complex technique that I can implement?" I'm like, "That's a great question. I have a question for you. Have you mastered the basics, and are you being consistent in your practice of meditation now?" She's like, "Nope." I'm like, "Perfect. Let's continue working on that."

I heard this analogy from someone else but if you are in third grade, if you don't pass third grade, why are you asking to go to 5th grade from 3rd grade? You’ve got to master first the basics of that grade to grow and go to the next level. That's something that we have to remember. A lot of that, which was uncomfortable to me at first, involves a lot of repetition.

Meditation is all about tuning out all the distractions, all the inputs, and just start connecting with yourself.

 

I know at the beginning, a few years back, and sometimes now, I'm like, "I'm going to be repeating the same thing, the same story, the same habit." That's how habits get built. With repetition. Getting comfortable with that repetition of the right patterns and habits and knowing that, "Success in whatever you want to be, whatever you want to do, takes repetition of every day, doing the same thing.”

I'm not saying the same thing that's lack of creativity but the same habits, empowering patterns, awareness, and intention. Repetition is a big key to success. The other part I would say is setting an intention whenever you are using yourself running the pattern of the next Shiny Object, start asking yourself, "In getting these things, this book, personal development training, these shoes, this purse, new trip or these new relationships, what is my intention behind me getting that? What is my goal? What is my target whenever I get these?”

If you get a digital course, your target would be, "Every week, I'm going to dedicate 2 to 3 hours to finish it or 1 hour 30 minutes." It doesn't matter. As long as you are being intentional and not letting all the distractions in your life lead your path, that's when fulfillment and happiness come into place because you have an intention. You are taking control of your reality. That is so important. I have a five-year version of who I want to be and what I want to do. I work with my one-on-one coaching clients and my students in Discover Your Purpose Program to do the same.

What is your longer-term direction? Whenever you have the longer-term direction, all of those short-term decisions of getting the next shiny object, you can compare that to your longer-term direction and ask yourself, "How is this adding value? How is this helping me get to the person I want to be in the future, to the things I want to be doing?" If it's a distraction, you will recognize that he's not helping you get there. It's the total opposite. It's pulling away from your aligned path.

He's asking yourself, “These things that I'm going to get tomorrow and I'm seeking to get now, how is that adding value to my life long-term?” I always say so many times that we prioritize short-term satisfaction over longer-term fulfillment. You start asking yourself, “Is this going to add value to the person I want to be in the future, the things I want to be doing, and being that ideal version of myself?”

The next step or technique is my next recommendation. Overall, start meditating or continue meditating, or maybe your goal is to be more consistent. Meditation is all about tuning out all the distractions and inputs and start connecting with yourself. The only thing you will always be with is yourself. What do you do when you are trying to build a relationship with someone else? You spend quality time with them. Meditation is quality time for yourself, so you can build that worthiness, confidence, and inner knowing within yourself. When you start doing that, you start becoming aware of what's helping you align to that path that you are pursuing. What's a distraction versus what's an aligned action?

I hope this was super helpful. I'm always sharing. I'm here to serve you because my whole purpose in this life, I truly believe, is to help you live at your highest potential. Enjoy life, have fun, and be proud of yourself for what you are doing and all the growth you have been having. I'm thankful for you to be here. As always, I feel so lucky that I get to share this knowledge with all of you. Remember, knowledge is potential power.

Ask yourself, of all the knowledge I shared with you, what is the one thing you are going to start applying moving forward? Answer it now. Ask yourself, “What is one thing that I want to improve on? What is the one thing that I commit to doing moving forward?” My friends, thank you for tuning in. I love you all. I will see you in the next episode. See you soon.

Important Links 

• Discover Your Purpose Program
• Digital Course Academy
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• https://www.YBCoaching.com/wellness5minsroutine
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