If you are anything like me, then you should have a bunch of products on your hard drive that you bought once upon a time, with the intention to use when the time comes, but never did.
Well, in my case, the time never did come, or when it did, I simply forgot that I had purchased a product that could help me.
This year alone, and the year 2015 has just started, I already bought hundreds of dollars worth of products. Products, that I thought, would help me in my Internet Marketing journey.
The products that I bought were products, which I really didn’t need right now because I had not reached that point in my journey that I really needed them.
Then Why Did I buy Them?
I bought them because I thought that I would really need them later on. During the launch phase, one can buy the product for a very special price. Some products I bought for a one-time fee, while the same product today you would buy with a monthly subscription, or far more expensive.
Do You Think I Suffer from the Shiny Object Syndrome?
Well, I think I do. Instead of investing that money in list building, and building that oh-so-important list, I invested it in products, which I may or may not use.
That is the power of good sales copy, convincing you that you need that product to go to the next level. Which in most cases, you don’t.
What Is Shiny Object Syndrome?
Shiny Object Syndrome (Objectivius Shinium Syndromus), is defined as the attraction to objects that exhibit a glassy, polished, gleaming, or otherwise shiny appearance.
In Internet Marketer’s terms, it means buying the next great product, and then the next, and the next, and the next, and so on….
Keep getting started, but never finish what you started to do. Why? Because you just bought something new that you have to try out first.
If you think that this mostly occurs with newbies, then you are wrong. I don’t consider myself a newbie anymore after being in this business for nearly 4 years.
I’ve made money in those years but nearly not enough to live a life of financial freedom.
It seems a trend these days to be distracted, by the next best product, which will help you get further, but instead one loses focus, and wastes hundreds of hours of productivity, and money, by just chasing the newest product on the market today.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t buy it, but I’m saying that you should buy the product if you think the product can help you and that you use it, and not store it on your hard drive for future use.
I’ve decided for myself that it’s time to stop wasting time and money on the next best product and start being productive, finishing what I have started before going on to the next level.
In my case, it’s finishing my first product which I have neglected to do, and only buying what I need to finish my first product.
The biggest problem in Internet Marketing today is that there are hundreds of new products coming out every week, and what’s actual today is history next month or even outdated
I know it’s hard not to get excited about every new idea that comes past you. Some are very cool to have, but you have to ask yourself, do I need it now to go further, or can it help me, and my business to simplify things?
My recommendation would be, not to buy if you don’t need it now. Better to pay a little more when you do need it than having an outdated product, that you bought for a low price months earlier.
Another thing to do is shut off all distractions, which is in this case unsubscribing from emails from people who just send you offer after offer, and never send you anything that can help you.
I recently had done this and instantly my inbox received hundreds of emails less on a daily basis.
The subscriptions that I still have give me value, and if they offer me something, I quickly scan the email, but do not click on the link, so that I do not get tempted to buy.
It’s time to take action with what I have started, and stop being a buyer, and start being a seller.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this subject by commenting below.
11 thoughts on “Are You Suffering From The Shiny Object Syndrome?”
Excellent insight and so very true. I am actually at the point that not only do I lose focus I have lost perspective. What is the current best service to offer to get started…rep management, seo, video services, local directories, social marketing ? The list of choices is a mile long. Even if you settle on one ( yeh right) then what is the best marketing model…..email, youtube, social networking, social advertising, adwords…again another mile long.And don’t get me started about the money and addictive obsession to the “search”. It might be easier ( and much less time consuming) to find the Lost Ark or the Holy Grail. I am sometimes reminded of that exchange between the trail boss Curly in City Slickers and the Billy Crystal character when talking about the secret to life:
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean s**t.
Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”
Curly: [smiles] That’s what *you* have to find out?
I love and hate that quote all at the same time. Now what??? The “search” sure as heck ain’t getting me there. Thanks for my rant platform…
Hi, thanks for the comment.
What you just pointed out is the main frustration of a lot of beginner Internet Marketers. What service shall I offer, what product should I create etc. One loses focus because he or she does not have clear goals on they want to achieve. What is the best choice is something very personal. I would say, choose one direction and stick with it until it becomes profitable, then rinse and repeat. Which direction you choose is not that important it’s your commitment and taking action that is.
Choose a direction that has your interest, otherwise you will loose the will to take action. Taking massive action is the key to success.
Taking massive action is something I lacked doing, therefore not proceeding in my Internet Marketing journey.
The most action I took was buying the next best product, which led me to believe that I suffered from the shiny Object Syndrome. My next point of action is to focus on what is important (creating my first product) and not on the next best offer that comes around.
Unsubscribing from a lot of email lists helps not to get distracted buy the next best offer.
– Frank
Hi Frank,
a great post about the problem with the Shiny Object Syndrome.
The problem is that you are losing focus rather than concentrating on what is really necessary to move your own business forward.
I like a quote from Arthur Ashe that says:
“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
Acting by this quote can bring you much further than all the next shiny objects.
However, some tools and products are necessary or at least useful to grow our business. It’s up to us to evaluate it and only get into those that can be helpful in the current stage of our business.
Hence I am still buying products, but only for two reasons:
1. I really need the product to perform some special task, or it can at least speed up or ease some process
2. I want to promote the product and want to try it before recommending it to my audience.
So I might add to the above quote a fourth line:
“and only buy what you really need right now.”
Cheers,
Torsten
Hi Torsten,
You are right when you say that I’m losing focus. Due to personal problems the last year I’m unable to focus on anything else but solving my personal problems. Well, my problems will be solved within the next month or two, and then I can start focussing on my first product which I have started, but need to finish. Lots to do still.
While not focussing on my Internet business, I started buying products which I thought could help me in the future, but not realising that many of these products will be out dated once I need them. Trying not to buy impulsively but with common sense.
Your words gave me a path to follow, which I thank you for, and I hope that my experience with the Shiny Object Syndrome can help others not to to buy products that they don’t need right away..
– Frank
Hi Frank,
Guilty as charged, your honour! I too have signed up, obtained for free, even bought more stuff than I will ever know what to do with! I have marketing stuff going back to 2004 – much of which is as relevant now as it was then… it isn’t!
I must admit that I am getting a little better. I do purge my sign up email address of sellers every now and again although I did keep one or two as I knew they had huge lists, for when I want them to promote my products, of course.
Hopefully Dean Holland’s QSC3 will do the rest for me and with me.
Regards,
Steven Lucas
Hi Steven,
It’s always a challenge not to buy a product which I will not use, but think I will use in the future. Changing my mindset into not buying unless I need it right now, is a huge challenge for.
Joining Dean Holland’s Quick Start Challenge is your first step in this journey..
Success with QSC 3
-Frank
Great post about shiny object syndrome. I can relate. I would shudder to add up the cost that I have spent and not used. I just did a video about this subject and posted it to my blog and You tube.
Hi Roy,
Thanks for taking the time to comment on my blog which is far overdue on new posts.
Just visited your blog and left a comment..
Frank, I can relate to what you are saying. My computer is full of products and programs that I have purchased, and not even opened! I have developed a new plan. Take the money I have been spending on products and programs, and invest it in driving traffic to my offers.
Roy,
I think I will do the same. Use the money to buy solo ads, building my list, and make a buck..
When I buy a shiny object, I never buy the oto straight away. What I do is make a PDF of the initial offer before buying and also bookmark the page. Then after purchasing I check the product first to see if it is any good and complete. If it is don’t buy any extras.
After purchasing you will probably get a link to an oto. Open this link in a new page. Also if you get a link like I don’t need a faster way to do xyz open this in a new page as well. This will often offer you a discount. Continue like this as long as you want the offer.
Often the offer will be something like developers rights to a plugin. Usually I buy the developer option but this can get expensive.
Always check that what you purchased works. I have lost count of the number of products, especially wp plugins, that don’t do what they are supposed to.