Ep 53 – Dealing with the shiny object syndrome

Are you constantly chasing one shiny object after another? Convincing yourself that this new course or certifying yourself with this qualification or attaining that jump in salary or switch in jobs will ensure you have arrived and never arriving. For by that time you have your eyes on the next new thing and you’ve already gotten in the chase?

It’s time you stop chasing shiny objects and commit to going deep on what’s important.

Here’s what you can expect in today’s episode:

I’ve always been restless, I’m constantly on the go, doing and doing more things. I used to attach my self-worth my identity and everything about who I think I am and would want to do every new thing possible. The latest certification, try out the new coffee, the newest meditation, the latest book release by my favourite author. Some I’d finish, some would be halfway done and in a limbo cause I’ve moved on to the next new thing.

When I first started observing this in me, I was surprised by how pervasive it was. I was so in every aspect of my life personal and professional, and the deeper I went down my meditation path, the more I wanted to curb this autopilot tendency.

Restlessness implies an inability to be still—to come to rest, to be able to stay present or to fully commit to doing the task at hand, while enjoying periods of reverie, wandering, and inactivity. It is anxiety escape to avoid pain discomfort and other unpleasant sensations.

When we are continuously restless and chasing the newest shiniest toy in the market-

We multi-task, spread ourselves too thin and don’t do anything completely with our full attention. This half-hearted attempt leaves us feeling unaccomplished. We do things constantly but nothing feels enough. And so we try and take on more, and over-commit which leads us to fail more. The end result: We feel drained and exhausted with nothing to show for all that we have done. And, the worst impact of restlessness is we procrastinate that which is important cause have little time and energy left to do them.

Some ways I’ve learned to curb this is

#1 Keeping my goals unchanged

Most of the time when we chase shiny objects we keep changing our goals too about what we want to accomplish. By keeping goals unchanged and steady, they act as an anchor to curb how much leeway you give your shiny toy syndrome.

#2 Practising meditation

A simple and humble way to shed out all excess is meditation. You become connected with what you truly are that you let go of all excess. This was how I first realized how deep this behaviour of mine is.

Working out every day is a good expression of this energy. Instead of making yourself do 10 things to quench this unquenchable thirst to do more, tire yourself out with rigorous exercise. This also helps improve sleep significantly.

#5 Learning to say no

We often over-commit because we cannot confront and say no. learn to refuse things that don’t work for you in a way that works for you. Your inner critic will resist and oppose this, especially if you’re as restless as I am. But gently and firmly tell yourself, “I cannot do all things because I need to say yes to what’s most important.”

This statement immediately empowers me. Grounding yourself to the present moment helps counter restlessness. By anchoring yourself to your own centre you can avoid the constant tug and pull of our monkey minds and stay focused on what’s right in front of us at the moment and improves your fulfilment from day to day activities significantly

Own your everyday tip

Give the shiny object syndrome a miss and commit to doing what’s most important for you to achieve your goals in the long-term. You will thank me later 😉