# Shiny object syndrome & the propensity to render ourselves useless Unfortunately for us, there is an affliction which plagues the masses. It is prevalent amongst those with ADHD, entrepreneurs, and most people who are extremely curious cats. This saboteur of productivity turns humans into gnats, buzzing from idea to idea and never sinking our teeth in. The dreaded shiny object syndrome (SOS). *GASPS* For me in the past, it has been an absolutely lethal weapon to murder my focus. Every time I would get something going or it would get a bit hard or boring, some new distraction would overtake my mind and off to the races on a new adventure I'd go. We all know the feeling. It can be extremely difficult for the mind to combat. Why? I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps at this point of modernity - circa late 2022 - we've been trained by our technology which we hold so dear to await the commands of notifications in the form of vibration and ding! The devices we cling to have boll weevil-ed into our subconscious, rewiring our body's relationship with dopamine so we're almost helplessly addicted. The influence of these compliance seekers like it better when we don't get into deep work since it takes us away from [[Phone addiction|doom scrolling]], yelling at fellow polarized citizens of the world from behind our keyboards, and purchasing more things at 60% discount on Purple Thursday, the newest made up celebration of consumerism. By the way, if it is discounted 60% off today, what is the product actually worth? I digress. Natural curiosity is, I'd opine, a good thing. But when we don't give ourselves the chance to go deep into the rabbit holes of life we're innately drawn to, it sucks a lot of the joy out of existence. As a recovering SOS-er, I can tell you that dabbling in many things is not nearly as fun as committing to something and really seeing it through. First of all, when you're trying to do a bunch of things all at once, you don't allow the full force of your creativity to shine its beam of wonder onto a single idea. Instead only shreds of light on too many inklings of ideas. It's hard enough doing one thing really well, and unless you've figured out how to activate god mode (call me), it just ain't happening. Secondly, from a practical identity standpoint, how will anybody know you for something? I recently sat down with 3 of the loveliest people for a birthday dinner, and I was so amazed by how clear their superpowers were. In 1 word, I could summarize what their gift to the world was and anybody would get it. There is power in that. Thirdly, from a life satisfaction standpoint, there are [[7 Core Disciplines|7 disciplines]] which everything in life falls in: spiritual, intellectual, physical, financial, industrial, relational, and emotional. If you're trying to do 8 things for work (industry), then I can almost guarantee you're neglecting one of more of the other 6 disciplines. It may not even be clear how they connect, but everything matters. When you're experiencing a blockage somewhere, typically the answer can be found in examining your core 7 and seeing what's getting the love and attention and what isn't. Fourthly, I'm a firm believer in becoming a master of your craft. The person you become in pursuit of that goal is worth the time and effort needed to accomplish it. It is a noble pursuit. Contrary to what social media may lead you to believe, most people are NOT actually honing a craft. They are jumping from thing to thing, idea to idea, side hustle to side hustle, identity to identity, and then trying to prove to the world that they are happy and have figured it all out. Newsflash! These people are not happy. A caveat, some people are very real and very happy on social media, and it's a gift of communication for us and I'm absolutely grateful for it. BUT the majority of people are trapped in a comparison war where they see others pretending to live the good life. Then they feel inadequate with their own lot in life, and feel like they need to change completely or pick up a side hustle or become and influencer or start a new thing or get a makeover or something drastic. The only reason why they do this is to then show off on social media, but by the time they do that, they see another person who they start to envy, and the cycle repeats. This is a combination of vice and shiny object syndrome which will annihilate the self confidence of anybody trying to play that game. There will always be somebody smarter, faster, stronger, wealthier, bla bla bla, than you. That's just how the world works. Even for an Olympic world record holder - give it 20 years and chances are they'll be usurped and forgotten. Life is fleeting, and the only things we can actually hold onto are the relationships we have with people we love, including family and friends, the people we become, and our daily practice. When I say practice I mean what are we doing daily to hone our craft. Humans are meant, as Sigmund Freud said, "to work, to play, to love, and to create." Taking the path of the [[Watching the master|craftsperson]] single handedly allows us to fill every one of those needs. A writer, for example, can work by writing, have fun and play around while writing, show love to others through writing, and create written works. Any craft is going to do the same, for the most part. And if not all, then most, and the remaining time you have, instead of trying to do another 6 things, you can get those needs met in a meaningful way. The ultimate sacrifice in life is looking back when you're old and thinking "I wish I would have done XYZ." At that point it's too late, and you'll forever live in pain and regret. NOW is the time we have to hone our craft, latch on to something and fend off the dreaded shiny object syndrome. If we aren't willing to sacrifice the little things now, what we truly want becomes the sacrifice by default. I can't do anything to help you 50 years down the road, but I can sound the alarm now. Kill off as much as you can. Focus on what you're naturally curious about or skilled at, and double down. Live the life of a craftsperson, and at the end of the day, you'll have live a life worthy of you.