Running from Shiny Object Syndrome
Discussing the flaw of personal ambition and solutions
Abstract
Is Shiny Object Syndrome just an entrepreneur’s problem?
The information I came across was very much on this specific subset, but in this post we are going to apply it to the life of a student.
When presented with a plethora of information on how to study, exam technique, and research on how to optimise our approach, it can be easy to forget what works best for us and why.
One thing we desire when we try something new is for it to work straightaway.
Although we may be aware that things don’t change overnight, usually the pressure and urgency associated with when we do seek different ways of studying for example, means the only way for it to work effectively is for it to do the impossible.
However, without time to reflect and strategise, just like an entrepreneur, we can become more susceptible to Shiny Object Syndrome.
In this thought piece, we will look at ways to mitigate its impact and why it is a constant battle of self-awareness when we are tempted to think that the answers have arrived in front of us.
Discussion
By having frameworks, I ensure I don’t stretch myself thin across too many interests and new ideas/trends.
Making a prioritisation grid almost a year and a half ago provided clarity on what really matters to me and enabled me to make a plan of action moving forward.
Now I had to view new things as taking time away from my main priorities and ask myself: ‘If it is worth exploring something new in that immediate moment’?
From then on, I subconsciously evaluated how I would feel if I were to change my approach or focus entirely.
Retrospectively, after making my prioritisation grid the three main considerations were:
Opportunity cost
What would I have to give up to do what I want to do, and what will I have done otherwise?
Prioritisation
Based on where I am right now, what is the most important task or project that needs to be done?
Accountability
If I am to try something new, I have to hold myself accountable for both my main priorities and my approach with this new thing.
These were three considerations that allowed me to focus more on my strategy in the long-term and combat the need to always be looking for something new.
Essentially, this evaluation was a step back from the initial excitement that comes from new ideas, projects, and trends.
The battle we face with Shiny Object Syndrome is dopamine, which comes with novelty and can distract us from our current direction and focus.
As researched in my post about habits, rewards form a part of habit formation and dopamine causes us to experience an increase in energy.
Alongside this, when talking about SOS, the tendency to react to this energy boost is what creates and reinforces the link between reward and the behaviour.
Focuswise also highlights the uphill challenge we face once we become accustomed to chasing shiny objects:
“When we repeatedly engage in a behaviour that triggers the release of dopamine, such as pursuing new opportunities, the brain begins to associate that behaviour with pleasure and reinforces it, making it more difficult to break the habit.”
Giving advice
When students ask for my advice on an array of topics from exam technique to degree apprenticeship applications, I ensure to be cautious as to how I present my advice.
What I mean by this is that I ensure I answer the question to the best of my knowledge and make it clear that I am speaking from my experience.
Why this is so important is because I cannot do the thinking for them - I can only guide them.
We will explore Shiny Object Syndrome through the example of guiding an exam approach for a student in the year below me.
After I had finished my International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, I was asked during the summer holiday by an A-level student in the year below:
“How are you able to manage stress and exam preparation?”
Looking back, I could have given 2-3 sentences that stem from my point of view and just talk about me; however I wanted to help as much as I could.
But by me being asked this question, this means they value my perspective which may hold weight for their next actions.
I found this interesting as there is a plethora of sources where exam techniques can be looked into, but they took the initiative to progress an active conversation with me.
In my opinion, I think this was a far more valuable approach rather than continuing to do further research, as I could provide a call-to-action as well as my perspective through experience.
If I were in their shoes and chose to look for the answers alone, with so many voices discussing the common experience of preparing for exams, how would I seek the best advice?
One straightforward approach would be to attribute more weight to the YT video that has the most views and take snippets of advice from other videos.
The most viewed video could be a shiny object in itself…
Funnily enough, I have tried this approach before.
I once tried to organise all the information I found on studying when I ironically explored how ‘to learn’, but quickly abandoned it as I realised how abstract the advice was to my life.
Retrospectively, I wish I saw the option of asking other students directly rather than being in an endless echo chamber.
Even with a generic question. sharing experiences with people who relate to you can mean everything.
So returning to the question of stress and exam preparation, how did I answer it?
With such an open-ended question, I knew that my perspective would have to explained thoroughly and it was my responsibility to highlight how it relates to the student.
Therefore, I took a step further before answering their question and I dug deeper into the root of the student’s stressors.
After I had gained an understanding of their personal concern and reason for the question, I provided and explained the frameworks and timetables I used for my IB exams.
The fact that we experience stress differently could easily have been overlooked, but as my perspective was valued, I didn’t want to provide frameworks that would be inapplicable or discourage them from experimenting.
I could just have given study advice that would have wasted their time, or even worse, be so disconnected from their current way of working that only take a pinch of salt could be taken away from it.
So I made sure to acknowledge the circumstances and challenges behind their current study techniques in order to give them an array of perspectives that are best suited to them.
By doing this, I narrowed the scope of ways in which they can experiment rather than just giving them a magic solution.
I acknowledged the importance of giving options, as the only person that knows how you work best is you.
In addition, the advice I gave could have been a shiny object in itself, as I have surpassed a stage they aspire to work towards.
By seeing someone they can relate to and has given them the ‘answers’, my word could have easily been taken for gospel.
But once again, by putting the decision-making in their hands and guiding them, the focus is less on my experience and instead the ownness placed on them to make the best use of the perspective I have given.
They acknowledged this responsibility the best way I could have asked for by vouching to experiment with the novel methods I provided during their holiday.
Overall, what I liked was the initiative taken to practice when the stakes are low, in order to be prepared in applying what works for them and reducing their risk of being distracted by a shiny object come exam season.
The pressure surrounding exams is tough enough and the last thing you want to do is to be scrambling for the perfect approach when it comes to preparing for them.
One point I would like to link this to is that study techniques more often than not are also presented as ‘content’, meaning we have to be weary of clickbait, sensationalist narratives, and misinformation.
If we are not going directly to someone for their perspective, the way to mitigate this is to gain a well-rounded view of the topic of interest as well as understand the reasoning behind it.
The way you do this is different depending on the medium you consume the information, but the principle remains the same.
For YT videos, it can be watching a variety of videos.
For articles, it may be to read a few to see if different perspectives hold similar narratives.
For courses, you would perhaps assume a well-rounded view has already been packaged up for you, and although it can contain a great summary, not everything relevant to you can be covered.
In general, whatever piques your interest should be looked further into than the first piece of content you reach and you should seek information in a variety of mediums.
This links to a key idea I found in a video talking about SOS.
The idea of ‘artificial urgency’ which can prompt action even when it is not necessary.
Having awareness of information that places pressure on taking action immediately can help you differentiate between a shiny object and an opportunity.
More often than not, things that require you to act as soon as possible in order for them to ‘work’ can conjure artificial urgency.
Differentiate between marketing and opportunity.
Take time to evaluate new things.
Solutions?
We have talked about structure, giving advice, and how we approach new information, but now we will discuss ways to mitigate Shiny Object Syndrome.
Through my experiences, these are 5 ways in which you can distinguish between what is and isn’t a shiny object:
Creating targets
Seeing through targets means taking that next step we intended to take.
Before switching my attention to something new, I make sure to provide personal assurance in the fact that I have tried my best.
This limits the space for regrets; by doing what is in your power, the impact of something is clear cut as to whether it has been a success or not for you.
Evaluating opportunities and priorities
When I have been approached with new opportunities, as discussed prior, I think about what it’s impact will be on my current priorities if I were to explore further.
This determines my initial reaction and whether I am interested in it.
But in the case that an opportunity does interest me and aligns with my priorities, in the long-term does it benefit me if I commit to it?
With a wide range of interests, we can easily become distracted and assume interest and importance are inextricably linked when we are first approached with new experiences.
However, is what you’ll gain from it worth the effort and sacrifice?
Get a second opinion on your direction
Many of us would say we trust ourselves the most out of anyone we know as we think we are fully aware of our capabilities.
The fact is that we are not.
There will be times where we become misguided after having siloed ourselves to our thoughts.
Having a second opinion can sometimes be what we need to stay on track.
Share your ideas with people closest to you
The least of your worries should be someone stealing your idea and benefitting off it in a way that you couldn’t.
What you should worry about is anchoring yourself to something you have said but haven’t thought through.
Read that again.
Doing things in your own time and at your own pace will provide the most clarity and meaningful results.
Say ‘no’ more
Saying ‘no’ is creating boundaries, expectations, and standards all at once.
Do not allow your focus to split by every opportunity that comes your way.
This is more so about you.
You need to be able to trust yourself to be consistent in how you approach new opportunities.
If you have integrity to yourself, you will become more confident and decisive in your decision-making.
New opportunities will become a part of your strategy rather than the strategy for a way out.
Conclusion
Not one size fits all.
As I said in the first post of the Laziness v Complacency series:
“To think that the thinking has been done for us is a perfect example of falling into complacency.”
We cannot assume that the path for success has been paved out for us and has arrived at our feet, and more so, we cannot do everything that comes our way:
A master of all is a master of none.
By apportioning our efforts, switching our focus, and starting from scratch time after time, we would be unable to use our foundations which prevents us from exploring our unique skillset.
Shiny Object Syndrome to some degree is about self-control, but self-control only comes in when you are self-aware and clear on what you want in your life.
Our distractions change as time goes on, but our susceptibility to them is rooted in how grounded we are.
I hope this post has compounded on the knowledge of what SOS is and that you have found points of reflection in this post to take on too.
P.S.
If I wrote about SOS when I first wanted to, it would have been a shiny object….👀
