Chasing shiny new things

A subtle yet sabotaging tendency that I have uncovered in myself and in many of my clients is the urge to continually start something new. 

Our Facebook and Instagram feeds are riddled with ad’s with shiny new products, services, and programs promising to deliver results in unique new ways. Many of these offerings are amazing, but what I see is that the urge to abandon what is currently working to chase the buzz of something new. And, my friends, that has a real down side. 

Marie Forleo recently tweeted that “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” This tweet rang so true and a good reminder that when we start something and do not finish it we do not reap the benefits that comes from consistent action. 

Some of the downsides of this cycle of quitting and starting something new are:

1). Inability to finish

Often when we get excited about a new product, service, or workout we don’t’ complete current programs or regimens what we are a part of before reaping any of the meaningful results. How many of us have purchased workout equipment, positive eating cookbooks, or self-development programs and did not finish, and thus resulting in us not getting to our goals.

2). Lose money

When we don’t finish programs and buy new ones, we easily part with our hard -earned cash. Many of us would get the result we truly desired by being consistent with one or two of the programs we have already started as opposed to giving up half way and spending on something new.

3).  We confuse ourselves

Especially when it comes to health and wellness goals, the more programs we purchase and take part in the more information we interface with. In consistent messages can often be confusing and contradictory. When we are confused, we often don’t take action.

4). Lose out on the compound effects

When you stick to something long enough, you get compound effects. Think of it like interest on your sustained effort. I have been taking the same spin class 2-3 times a week for about 5 years, and while the class is always challenging, I am only now seeing and experiencing some nuances of my technique that have led to greater endurance, ease, and fun on the bike, that I know would not have experienced had I not been consistent.

So how do we OVERCOME this?

1). Commit to seeing one program through it its entirety before starting something new.

-Make yourself and/or an accountability partner an agreement that you will not start anything new until you complete what is already in front of you. 

2). Limit distractions

-We are all bombarded with new information all day and every day. Limiting social media can be an awesome first step. Instead of checking your email, FB, IG every half hour, see if you can stretch it out to morning, afternoon, and evening. If not more. 

3). Don’t act on impulse

-Sit on new ideas, new programs, new purchases before acting on them. Give the decision room to breathe and time for careful consideration before acting. 

4). Let it be hard and boring

-Workouts, clean eating protocols, self-development programs all have their times of being hard and monotonous, and we have to learn to override our brain when it tells us that “I don’t feel like it.” I think of my 10 year-old who asks “why do I have to do this? It’s hard” when tasked with a chore. Sticking with a dull task is tough, especially for someone so young, but the payoff, I tell her, is that she will learn good habits by pushing through something she isn’t enjoying. It might be falling on deaf ears currently, but I hope there’s a payoff and someday she’ll appreciate her responsibilities. Likewise, there will be times you don’t and will have to push through and do it anyway. Your future self will always thank you.

If you catch yourself chasing the next fix by buying or engaging in something new before finishing what you started, pause and commit to a more consistent path towards your goals. I promise you, it is worth it and you will gain so much more compound interest staying with what have been doing. 

If you need coaching around chasing shiny new objects, schedule a sacred hour with me to manage those tendencies and forge a consistent path forward!

Schedule Now: https://mindyourstrengthcoaching.as.me/