Human nature causes us to constantly search for bigger, better and faster ways to get things done. It doesn’t matter if you sell cars or cakes, odds are you’ll always be on the hunt for that brand new service or technology guaranteed to make life and business Enjoyable, Simple & Prosperous—something we call ESP®. We’re all susceptible. But beware of what we call the “Bright & Shiny Object Syndrome.” It may be hurting your ability to perform at your best.
The often-overlooked “Bright & Shiny Object Syndrome” —BSOS for short—cannot be alleviated by wearing shades or taking antibiotics. When it comes over us we get tunnel vision and practically salivate over the hottest, newest thing—whatever it may be. Cell phones are a great example of this. Every few months the manufacturers come out with a new model of the same phone, but the new one has a grey back plate instead of a silver one. Big whoop. Even though the improvements are practically unnoticeable we still flock to purchase them. But why are we so eager to switch so quickly? Because BSOS has captured our attention and subsequently our wallets.
And our industry is certainly not helping us to avoid BSOS, either. There are a multitude of shiny objects that remain tirelessly consistent within the automotive sales sector: new technology to implement, new software to install, tradeshows to attend, 20 Groups to join, and thousands of vendors to choose from. It’s exhausting just thinking about it! As business owners we are constantly bombarded with choices—and often (over)promises—which distract us from the real work of building a solid plan and sound strategy for growing our businesses and committing to that plan.
When we go online to search for solutions to whatever problems we may face, we leap frog from one bright and shiny object to the next, often straying far away from where we started or intended to end up. It’s the perpetual search for new that derails us. It’s what keeps people from graduating college or finishing books we’ve started. We just keep switching over to different things before we’ve actually given anything an honest effort. Think of it this way: you can either dig a thousand holes one foot deep or dig one hole a thousand feet deep. If you were more likely to succeed the deeper you dug, wouldn’t you choose to focus on digging a single hole instead of switching all the time? Of course you would.
Plainly stated, there’s too much flip-flopping going on, too much switching. If you suffer from BSOS you need to figure out a way to improve on what you’ve already got, and stick with it! Buckle down and get to work. But if what you’re relying on right now just isn’t working for you, by all means seek out something that will.
When you do finally start to consider throwing money at something, it’s always a good idea to read the reviews. What others have to say about a particular product or service can make or break your budget in a big way. On that same note, if you decide to purchase something, be sure to write your own review afterward. That way you can help others in your position to make better-informed decisions.
Most people don’t realize how little resistance they have toward looking for “better” options. Rather than implementing what they already have, they’d rather chase something down that might not even exist. Implementation is the key to being successful and avoiding BSOS. When you find something you’re looking for, try it! Just don’t make a long commitment. Track your progress and correlating results to find out if the decision you made was a good one.
In our experience, there are two basic components to success: preparing to be successful, and working at being successful. Most people do one or the other, but only the most successful do both. If you stop searching and start implementing, you have a much higher chance of actually succeeding. Anyone can make a list of projects, but it takes a true leader to implement and finish them.