5 Steps to Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome
The name shiny object syndrome (SOS) may sound innocuous or even amusing, but the behavior can be destructive and negatively impact an individual’s relationships, productivity, effectiveness, work life, finances, and overall well-being. SOS can affect anyone with an incessant need for novelty and distraction, but it is commonly seen in people with ADHD.
Often when something is fun, exciting, and new, we get a temporary hit of dopamine which makes us feel good and motivates us to want and seek more.
SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME AT WORK, AT HOME, AND IN LOVE
In a business setting, shiny object syndrome is frequently seen in entrepreneurs who continually chase new trends, new opportunities, and new ideas—as a child would a shiny object—without fully weighing what it means in terms of time, resources, and potential payoff. SOS can also affect men and women on dating apps. Unable to focus on one meaningful relationship, they choose instead to “swipe” endlessly and/or make more superficial, short-term connections that serve as temporary excitement and distraction. Of course, SOS is prevalent amongst people who quite literally pursue the latest “shiny object,” such as a shopper who compulsively seeks the latest gadget, car, or other material goods. The common theme is that regardless of what the shiny object is, the pursuit of it provides an exciting distraction from the more mundane tasks of living. Constant digital access connects us to a world of distraction and fosters SOS. At any time of the day, we can access newness in the form of goods, fast news, images, social media platforms, and a host of apps that provide distraction and temporary excitement.DOPAMINE AND THE SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME
Did you know that we get a rush of dopamine whenever we have a new experience of any kind? A study published in the journal Neuron examined participants after they viewed a series of images that were very similar and commonplace: everyday landscapes, interiors, and faces. But every so often they tossed in an “oddball” image, something out of the ordinary. They found that the pleasure centers of the brain (located mainly in the midbrain) were activated when the novel, oddball image appeared, triggering a flood of dopamine throughout the brain. Often when something is fun, exciting, and new, we get a temporary hit of dopamine which makes us feel good and motivates us to want and seek more. It causes our general level of arousal and goal-directed behavior to increase. Generally, this is very positive and necessary for health and longevity. It helps to keep us motivated to work, learn new things, and succeed. Problems arise when the rush of dopamine, excitement, and good feelings subside. The new distraction or shiny object no longer holds our attention, and we look for pleasure elsewhere. We start looking for our new shiny object.HOW SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME AFFECTS ENTREPRENEURS
An entrepreneur is highly motivated, unafraid to create new things, loves to leverage new platforms or programs, and acts quickly on new opportunities. Finding what’s next and taking the risk to act on it is what they do. Unfortunately, these are the very qualities that predispose an individual to SOS. They are also traits typically seen in people with ADHD, which has been associated with a tendency to be self-employed. Shiny object syndrome tends to happen when business owners rush into new ideas without properly thinking them through or in order to avoid the less exciting work of tending to the business at hand. When under pressure or vulnerable, an entrepreneur may be unmotivated to address the less dopamine-rewarding tasks of their business (e.g., rolling out a customer retention plan, invoicing, collections, or taking inventory). Instead, pursuing the shiny new object—whether that’s launching a half-baked product or deciding to start or acquire a new business, or simply redo an already established marketing plan—provides a much-needed, highly distracting rush of excitement and motivation. Racing into a new project or venture keeps the pleasure centers going initially, but when the shininess loses its sparkle or a project becomes overwhelming, the new venture is abandoned. The cost is hard to quantify, but it often involves lost resources, stress, frustrated employees, chaos, and a feeling of being out of control. Productivity declines. The neglect of critical areas of the original business can sabotage existing success.SIGNS YOU MAY HAVE SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME
Common signs of shiny object syndrome include:- Leaving or getting bored in relationships as soon as the exciting phase wears off
- Accumulating a number of new items that you do not need or use
- Spending hours online “clicking” whether that’s on social media, news sites, or other apps
- Having multiple unfinished projects
- Decreased productivity
- High-stress levels, overwhelm, sleeplessness
- Frustrated employees
- Drained resources
