B.S.O. Syndrome
*#5 of 7 post series for Global Entrepreneurship Week.
“I have the attention span of a fruit fly in a farmers market.”
I literally laughed out loud when my client said that to me as the visual was so clear – “Oooh look! A bigger apple! No, that one looks more ripe…!’ But the great thing is, he recognized and acknowledged the challenge he had and was seeking assistance to manage, if not over come it.
B.S.O. – Bright Shiny Objects Syndrome
It’s the bane of entrepreneurs. Constantly adopting new ideas or new products is a huge time sink and expense. There’s the learning curve on how it works, how to use it, how to implement it and worse, everything will likely be repeated once something newer comes along.
Your ROI – Return On Investment – is little (or no!) progress and likely, you end up taking two steps back for every one step forward you have already made. In the end, the only thing that has moved forward is the clock and the calendar.
Some of the tips I shared with my client to overcome B.S.O. Syndrome:
- try to understand what’s driving you to seek out new things rather than working with what you have.
- You are not F.O.M.O. immune. (Fear Of Missing Out) It’s hard not to see the success around you and want a part of it.
- Be objective when assessing the potential benefit or impact of the B.S.O. Understand that not every B.S.O. is the ‘magic sauce’.
- Revisit your goals and see if the B.S.O. actually fits into the big picture of things or will it suck time, energy and money away from your goal.
And I leave you with the following excerpt is from Debbie Allen’s book, Success Is Easy. She calls it the “Squirrel Syndrome”.
Avoid “Squirrel Syndrome.” It’s not uncommon for a business owner to spin their wheels and lose focus. When this happens, many people start looking for the next bright, shiny object to grab hold of. This is called Squirrel Syndrome.
- Squirrels have a severe inability to focus.
- Squirrels often dart back and forth doubting their decisions; unable to choose a direction.
- Squirrels have something to teach us: what not to do.
The Squirrel Syndrome may cause abrupt dashes from one idea to another or one project to the next. When this happens, you become unfocused and may even become frantic about not getting things accomplished. The result is, you delay or never complete important projects to reach your goals.
Don’t be a squirrel. (or a fruit fly)
For more, read my additional article on B.S.O.’s
Now Go Get Connected!
An award-winning Leader, Entrepreneur and Business Development Consultant, Cathy teaches entrepreneurs how to increase their influence; build their business and stay sane while doing it. She helps you to let go of limiting beliefs to “Stand Up, Stand Out & Step Forward” for business success. Named one of the Top Ten Mentors by StartUp Canada, Cathy is recognized across the country for her expertise on “All Things Small Biz”. She is the Founder of The Connected Woman Association, is a Director on the Board of WeBC (formerly the Women’s Enterprise Centre), author of numerous books and articles specifically the internationally known “Daily Espressos- Your Read it and Delete it Kickstart to Your Day”, and is a networking maven. (whew!)
For information on upcoming workshops, business coaching or to engage Cathy as a Keynote speaker at your next event, visit www.cathykuzel.com
