Like the dog in the movie Up who shouts “Squirrel!”, we can so easily get distracted by new and exciting things. This week Janine and Shannon discuss Bright Shiny Object Syndrome and some strategies for resisting it, as well as for harnessing it for good.
Discussion topics include:
- How easy it is to be pulled away by bright shiny objects (BSOs)
- Shannon’s 90-day plans that help her resist the BSOs
- The importance of having a system in place to take note of the BSOs so you can come back to them later
- Using Bright Shiny Object Syndrome to your advantage
- How Janine harnesses her penchant for BSOs by using Trello for task management
- Building BSOs into your plan for your day
- Identifying why you’re drawn to a particular BSO to help you modify your existing projects/systems to make them more attractive to you
- How being kind to yourself fits into the picture
Links:
- An article from Jack Canfield on beating Shiny Object Syndrome
- Trello, which Janine uses to harness her penchant for BSOs in her task management
Note: The episode on distractions that we mentioned was actually Episode 26: Multitasking, where we talked a lot about distractions.
It’s funny. I have just been caught up in Bright, Shiny Object Syndrome. I have been working at decluttering a storage unit chock-full-o-junk. I have cleared 28 boxes’ worth of stuff and gotten down to just a few (great big) boxes left. I have hit a wall and today, a book that I wanted from the library just came. It is on decluttering, and I want to sit down and read it instead of going to the storage unit and carrying on. I need to keep at it instead of reading how to do it. But books are my downfall. I love them, and find that I will take any opportunity to read a book instead of doing a task. I need professional help.