Transcript

[00:14] Hey guys. It’s Stephen here, back with another episode of Marketing on the Move.

And I’m actually recording this one day later from the previous one. We’re trying to keep it consistent now.

[00:25] I wanted to record this, called Shiny Object Syndrome – this is something which a lot of entrepreneurs, a lot of business owners, really anyone who’s in their own business- I know a lot of young entrepreneurs face it.

I face it a lot and it is something which I wanted to address today because it’s one of the biggest killers of success and it’s one of the biggest issues which I think is a cause of demise of really good ideas and following through and having a business come to fruition and work for you.

[00:53] What I want to talk about is shiny object syndrome: being able to focus on one task until it’s complete.

That’s exactly what you need to do to become successful: really persevere and be disciplined to focus on one task and not steer of the road and steer off the path that you have started down because you say it’s something which might work or you say it’s a quick fix or you say it’s something which might make you a bit of money in the short term, but really what your dream is, and what your goal has been is to grow your existing company or your current idea and maybe halfway through that — or you’re in a bit of a rut and you don’t know where to go or wherever it might be —

It’s just so important to make sure that you focus on that and make it successful before you move on to anything else or take it to a point where you know that you’re happy and you’ve taken it to where it is.

That’s exactly what you need to do to become successful: really persevere and be disciplined to focus on one task and not steer of the road and steer off the path that you have started down because you say it’s something which might work or you say it’s a quick fix or you say it’s something which might make you a bit of money in the short term, but really what your dream is, and what your goal has been is to grow your existing company or your current idea and maybe halfway through that — or you’re in a bit of a rut and you don’t know where to go or wherever it might be —

It’s just so important to make sure that you focus on that and make it successful before you move on to anything else or take it to a point where you know that you’re happy and you’ve taken it to where it is.

Or you’re in a bit of a rut and you don’t know where to go or wherever it might be —

It’s just so important to make sure that you focus on that and make it successful before you move on to anything else or take it to a point where you know that you’re happy and you’ve taken it to where it is.

[01:42] So John Lee Dumas told me this when I was listening to many of his podcasts: an acronym for focus. FOCUS stands for Follow One Course Until Successful.

So follow that one course. Do not let anything divert your way. Do not take the shortcuts, not take the easy way out — and it’s something which has come across my table in the past as well.

Something where I have had many opportunities from friends or family, all saying, “Look we can do this or have about this idea. I’d love to get you involved on this and we can make some good money,” or “It’s a good opportunity.

I know there’s a massive market for it.”

[02:16] Whatever it might be, it’s definitely the easy way out, and when you’ve already got enough things on your plate, the best thing you can do is say no. Don’t be afraid to say no, as hard as it might be to say no to new opportunities and new doors which open: 90% of the time, probably more, 95% of the time the best way to do it is to just say, ”No.

Don’t be afraid to say no, as hard as it might be to say no to new opportunities and new doors which open: 90% of the time, probably more, 95% of the time the best way to do it is to just say, ”No.

I’ll come back to it.”

Re-assess it when you’re in a position where your cash flow is stable and where you’re in a position where everything that is in your own business right now is under control and when you’ve got the success to make you think that you’re comfortable enough to make a new investment, and make sure that investment is your decision.

So that no one’s swaying you, and no one’s bringing you in; make sure it’s your decision under your terms.

[03:01] I was faced with a bit of a crossroads recently with a few new opportunities that came my way, and it’s just something that’s reminded me that I really have to focus on what I am currently doing because it’s something where the existing projects you’ve got is far more likely to be more successful if you persevere through it.

Because the person next door who’s competing with you on that existing project doesn’t have that shiny object syndrome which you’re getting currently.

Every time you think about it and every time you take time away from your existing project and want to put into your new business the new idea or opportunity that someone has brought into your life, the other person is getting an extra step ahead and you’re losing ground on your existing business.

It’s going to become much more unsuccessful just because you’re not dividing that time; you don’t have that passion anymore that you initially did.

[03:52] Now if it takes a point to where you’re really not sure and you’ve found this new opportunity that you’re crazy about, and you love it, then you might need to re-assess if this business that you thought about will work for you.

[04:03] Generally it will be.

You just need to re-ignite the flame and find out why at  you were so passionate at the beginning about starting that business, and be disciplined in yourself and say look, I started it for these reasons;

I think it’s going to be successful for these reasons and I’m going to follow through with it, and it’s extremely hard to do and there’s no easy way around it.

This is a really hard thing to do, to remind yourself why you started the business and stick with it. But that’s where most businesses have success, and in the past for me as well — that’s where I found success in a lot of businesses.

Ignore what everyone else is doing and focus head down on what you’re doing. Make sure that for what you’re doing, you’re putting 100% of your time in it, and you’ll get out of it, and you’ll reap the rewards because you want your competition to suffer this shiny object syndrome where they’re not focused on the job, and you’re absolutely killing it, and that’s when the results will come.

[04:53] So I just wanted to share that with you guys today.  A nice, short, little podcast on that. Let me know in the comments on my website where this will be posted if you had any issues with this and if you found out that shiny object syndrome is something that you face and if it’s something that you’ve been challenged with and how you’ve gone about solving it.

I’d love to hear it from you. Let me know how the podcast is going too guys. Shoot me a message on Facebook, on Twitter or wherever you like.  I’d love to hear it from you, and I’ll speak to you again soon.

[05:22] See you later guys.