Part three of the business tune up:
HOW TO CURE SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME
Has this happened to you? You have a great idea – a really great idea – a new product, workshop, or service that you know your customers want and need. BUT .. you don’t have the knowledge you need to create it. For example, you want to start a membership site to provide monthly solutions to many clients at once. You have no idea how to set up a membership site. You don't know what software to use or how to convert your existing clients to a membership format. And you don't know how to set up monthly billing, etc.
The solution? Do a quick search on Facebook or Google to find someone who offers a tutorial or workshop on creating a membership site. Heck, you find a few tutorials that look good. You sign up for the free tutorial AND buy the workshop. You get to work.
A few days or weeks later, you have forgotten your membership site idea amidst a sea of problems, new clients, LIFE issues.
OR you are scrolling through Facebook and see an ad for a webinar on publishing your book on Amazon. You know you want to publish your book, so you sign up for the webinar. You listen and hit the BUY button for the product they are promoting. You are ready to learn to publish your book …. that you HAVEN’T written, heck you haven’t even decided on an idea yet.
You have the dreaded SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME (SOS).
One of the biggest challenges for online business owners, solopreneurs and other small business owners is the need to continuously learn new skills and concepts. You wouldn’t be in the business you are in if you didn’t like the challenge of learning new things. Most of us crave the excitement of learning something new – and when we think it will help our business, we like it even more.
Two symptoms most sufferers of SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME exhibit:
Knowledge Acquisition Addiction (KAA) and All Talk/No Action (AT/NA)
Knowledge Acquisition Addiction (KAA)
When you let the exploration and learning take too much of our time. Or, when you spend time on something new that has NO relevance to your current projects and goals, you have Knowledge Acquisition Addiction
Perhaps the excitement of the Pinterest craze has lured you to check it out. You can’t resist listening and watching the webinars about it. You’ve bought the latest eBook about how to use Pinterest in your business. You set up your account, and started pinning. That’s great if you have a very visual business and are in the middle of building up your social media marketing efforts.
However, if your current project is researching and developing a new product line, does it make sense to take a detour to learn Pinterest? Spending time on unrelated tasks slow you down and delays your product launch. No new product means less revenue.
All Talk/No Action (AT/NA)
The other challenge we encounter with learning is actually putting it into action. Many times we pick up a great course or training program that we know will help our business. We start reading it and implementing some of it with gusto.
Often, other business commitments and urgent matters edge out the new training. Soon the new course starts getting shoved aside for “tomorrow” as more and more daily tasks get in the way. When you finally get back to the course, it no longer resonates with your business goals. Or worse, it’s been so long the information isn’t even relevant. It’s been a complete waste of money.
Successful entrepreneurs manage to overcome SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME. There is no secret recipe for their success, but they do follow a few specific guidelines:
- "JUST IN TIME" LEARNING - Focus only on what’s relevant to your goals Right Now
- Be specific about what you want to learn and why
- Finish what you started before you begin learning something new
- Apply everything you learn to real life, whether it’s work or personal
Let these principles guide you whenever you hear the siren song of a fabulous new workshop, eBook or webinar. (Post them on your wall to remind you!)
The first step in curing your SOS:
Establishing a Mindset for Success
Being a successful learner is all about being open, paying attention to everything around you, and putting what you learn into action. Sound easy? It certainly isn’t easy for everyone. Here are some of the most common barriers to learning success that may be holding you back.
No Clear Plan
If your knowledge acquisition goals aren’t clear, you’ll stray. Knowing what and when you need to learn for your business, prevents purchasing costly, irrelevant programs.
Start by writing down a goal for what you want to learn and why. Be as specific as possible. Make sure that your written goal is measurable. This way, you’ll know when you’ve reached it. With this goal in mind, you can also brainstorm ideas for steps to help you get there.
Too Much at Once
It’s exhausting and futile to learn anything when you’re spreading yourself too thin. While there’s a lot to learn on any given subject, you can’t take it in all at once. Learning works in stages. You start with something basic, then add another layer, move to the next, and so on. If you haven’t completed one stage, you won’t be ready for the next. Focus on learning one thing at a time. Establish a comfortable routine, then you can start adding more complexity.
Distractions
Distractions are everywhere, especially on the Internet. To learn something new, you need a clear focus. It’s tough to shut out all the noise but there are some ways to diminish it.
Establish time blocks on your calendar for:
- · working time
- · learning time
- non-working time
Discipline yourself to maintain your focus and respect your time blocks.
Fear of Failure
The biggest barrier to learning something new is the fear that you will fail. But failures teach the best lessons. You try something new, you efforts fail, you survive it, and you take away valuable lessons.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
~Thomas Edison
The knowledge you gain through experience are the ‘hard knocks’ that make you stronger and resilient. To cultivate the success mindset, erase the word ‘failure’ from your vocabulary. Replace it with the word ‘lesson.’
Fear of Success
Strangely enough, it may be fear of success that holds you back. Do you have a deep-seated belief that you don’t deserve success? The truth is that if you work hard, you deserve the fruits of your labor. As you reach your goals, you’ll become more comfortable seeing yourself as the successful person you want to be.
Know You’re Going to Make It
Adopting the success mindset may not involve attempting new challenges. It may be ridding yourself of the self-defeating habits that holding you back. As you identify and discard these barriers, go forward knowing that you’re going to be successful.
I recently heard a coach say when he sets a goal, he knows he is going reach it. He doesn’t spend time worrying, fretting, or doubting himself. He outlines what he needs to do, meets his obstacles head on and reaches his goals. Not feeling self-confident? Fake it! Sometimes just pretending to act a certain way makes it become reality.
In part two, you’ll learn how to determine and prioritize what you need to learn right now, and how to create an inventory of workshops and eBooks.
