Confession time: I have the attention span of a magpie in a jewellery shop.
Every time a new idea flashes across my brain, I swear it’s The One. The missing piece. The magic bullet that’ll suddenly make everything click in my business. And off I go… distracted, headlong into planning yet another “must-have” project while the actual plan sits gathering dust.
Sound familiar?
The thing is, it’s not that the ideas are bad. Most of them are pretty decent. The problem is, every time I chase a shiny object, I’m stealing time, focus and energy away from the strategy I said mattered most. And spoiler alert: a business built on distractions looks a lot like chaos.
Why shiny objects are so seductive
New ideas feel fun. They feel hopeful. They feel easier than slogging through the unsexy bits of sticking with the current plan.
Starting something new gives you a buzz. Following through on something old? That feels boring. Hard. Exposed.
But if I’m honest, shiny-object syndrome has cost me years. I’ve started businesses, half-built products, launched things with no follow-through, all because I couldn’t keep my eye on the strategy I already had.
The wake-up call
At some point I had to admit: it’s not more ideas I need. It’s more focus.
Strategy isn’t about killing creativity or forcing yourself into a rigid box. It’s about choosing the right ideas and actually seeing them through. Otherwise, I’m just stuck in permanent “start-up mode,” throwing spaghetti at the wall and wondering why nothing’s sticking.
And that’s where systems come in. When you’ve got simple systems in place – whether that’s a content plan, an onboarding checklist, or even just a one-page map of your business – you’ve got guardrails. Things that stop you veering off the road every time something shiny glitters on the horizon.
Where I’m at now
Don’t get me wrong – I haven’t cured myself of shiny object syndrome. I still get ideas all the bloody time. The difference is, I write them down, check them against my strategy, and 9 times out of 10 I park them for later.
That way, I can keep building what I’ve started instead of forever burning it down to chase the next sparkly distraction.
It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t give you that instant dopamine hit of a brand new project. But it does give you progress – and that feels even better.
Over to you
So here’s my question: what’s your shiny object? The thing you know has been pulling you away from your actual plan?
Drop it in the comments. Own it. (And hey – if you need help pulling it back into line with your strategy, you’re in good company here. I’m working on that too.)
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