I believe the number one problem people face when trying to grow a business online is shiny object syndrome.

After weeks or months of trying to figure out what online business model you want to use, be it affiliate marketing, mlm, ecommerce, etc. You go to work building your business.

Your following a plan, creating content, learning everything you can about growing your business and then… You get an email with a catchy subject line.

You open it and lo and behold, it is the quickest and easiest way to make money. It’s the magic pill, you won’t have to do any work and the cash will magically appear.

Hell, this will be so much easier than creating all that content and actually putting in work. Let’s start working on this magic pill.

Only to find out that you’ve wasted some more money and worse, the time you put into trying it out that you could have spent on building a real business.

And so it goes, the cycle continues for months maybe years. That’s why so many people fail. I speak from experience on this. I wasted my first year believing there was an easy button or magic pill.

Realize, it’s like losing weight or getting in shape. You’ve got to put in the work! This loss of focus is costing you hundreds of hours a year in lost productivity, lost hours, lost dollars.

Shiny Object Syndrome Is Hard To Avoid

It starts with the newest fad, remember the fidget spinners? Don’t feel bad, you’re not alone in getting caught in this trap. Television shows commercials every 5 minutes about the newest weight loss pill, hell they even create shows around it.

A simple promo from a so called celebrity has everyone buzzing as the next big thing. The next thing you know books are being written by so called gurus and it goes on and on.

All the while keeping you distracted from what’s really important. Growing your business.

Trust me, I get it. It’s hard not to get excited about every new idea that shows up in your email. Some of them are very, very cool. But you are running a business.

You can’t get away from being bombarded everywhere you go. You’re on facebook to catch up with what your friends are doing. Next thing you know, there’s an ad showing you how to make a $1,000/day selling on Amazon.

So you get away from Facebook, you just want to relax and watch some youtube videos. Bam, there’s an ad showing you a guy in his mansion telling you how to live the life of your dreams. It never ends. lol

I used to get hundreds of emails each day telling me I could make commissions on auto pilot, make a killing using facebook, build and ecommerce empire within days. While you can make great money with the above, nothing is on auto pilot.

You can put in the work and streamline things in your business but nothing happens overnight.

Questions To Ask About The Next Shiny Object

In the next five minutes when you see the next shiny object in your email, on facebook or youtube, Ask yourself these questions.

• Can I use this in my existing business?
• Will my customers want this and would they be willing to pay for it?
• Am I going to have the time, resources, energy, and money to put into this to make it successful?
• Do I already have too much stuff going on in my business that needs to be finished before I tackle this?
• Do I have the expertise to finish this new project, plus implement and maintain it?
• What will I neglect or eliminate in order for me to start something new?

Answer these questions honestly and then make a decision.

Anymore, the most important thing I look for is “Will it save me time”. If it’s a piece of software that can help streamline my business then I’m all for it. If it’s a wordpress plugin that makes certain tasks easier, that’s great.

Maybe it’s some templates for my emails or a collection of free images that saves me from hours of searching. Whatever can save you time and let you focus more on growing your business are the only shiny objects you should consider.

Their Money Depends On Our Shiny Object Syndrome

Always remember, every email you get, every facebook ad you see and every youtube advertisement is created by people who target your dreams or solving your problems.

I have to laugh when I see someone selling a product on jvzoo or warriorplus that is making them $300/day but they are going to sell it to you for 9.95. I’m a pretty good guy but if I’m making 300/day

1. I’m not going to waste my time putting a course together then jumping thru hoops getting it set up with jvzoo or warriorplus.

2. I’m not going to charge for it. I’m going to share it right here on this site like I do with my other articles.

I hope this article helps you get back some of your time that you need to grow your business and help you get over your shiny object syndrome.

Stay focused, be consistent and treat your business like a business, not a hobby. And only get things that will streamline your business.