Episode 492: #Tashmas Day 7: Is it really shiny object syndrome?

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated, thinking “Ugh, here I go again, chasing another shiny object…” then this episode of the Heart-Centred Business Podcast is for you! I’ve noticed so many entrepreneurs mislabeling natural creativity and ideation as Shiny Object Syndrome, which isn’t always accurate—and can actually slow down your progress. Let’s clear up what Shiny Object Syndrome really is, how it impacts your focus, and most importantly, how you can channel your brilliant ideas in ways that support your business without driving yourself up the wall.

It’s also #Tashmas day 7, so I have another gift for you with this episode!

Wait… What is #Tashmas?

I do it for both my birthday (1-12 March) and pre-Christmas (1-12 December) every year! Every day up to the 12th of December, there will be a new daily podcast episode, with a hot tip or practical strategy as per usual… but you ALSO get a gift! The daily gift could be a freebie, a special offer, a competition… but there will be something for YOU every single day.

Let’s dive in!

Here for the links referenced in the show notes?

Want to get my NEW Productivity bundle for free? Just find the Day 7 #Tashmas post over on my FB Page and ask a question about business planning, implementation or productivity! Anyone who asks a question will get the link to enrol free via Direct Message.

Offer closes 5pm AEST on 12th December 2025.
facebook.com/tashcorbincoaching

EPISODE 492: Listen using the player below, or click the links to your fave platform to subscribe and listen over there:

Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotif Listen on YouTube

What Is Shiny Object Syndrome Anyway?

The classic version of Shiny Object Syndrome looks like this: you set out to run a webinar, you get started, and then something catches your attention (“Webinars are dead! Do a five-day challenge!”) and you ditch the webinar before it’s finished. Halfway through the challenge, a new trend pops up (“You need a low-ticket course!”) and you start that instead, also without wrapping up the challenge. The key here is lack of completion. It’s the jumping from one thing to another, always on the hunt for something shinier—and never actually finishing the first thing.

There are a few reasons this happens:

Comparisonitis (comparing yourself constantly with others)
Getting stuck in consumption mode (endless podcasts, newsletters, YouTube, reels, but not creating)
Fear of success or visibility (right when you’re picking up momentum, something makes you want to run and hide)
Perfectionism (always almost done, but not “good enough” to finish and launch)

Here’s a recent example: someone decides to start a podcast. They record 15 episodes, but instead of launching, they go back and re-record all the episodes, again and again, stuck in the “it’s not perfect yet” loop. This is textbook Shiny Object Syndrome when nothing ever really gets finished.

Not Every New Idea Is Shiny Object Syndrome

But here’s where I see the misunderstanding. Many entrepreneurs tell me, “I just keep getting Shiny Object Syndrome!” But when I ask more, it turns out they’re not abandoning projects—they’re just overflowing with ideas. Thirty different directions, tons of things to try, and stuck at the decision stage.

This isn’t Shiny Object Syndrome at all—this is your creative, entrepreneurial brain in full flow! The problem comes when you shut that down out of frustration, thinking it’s a flaw. We don’t want to switch off your problem-solving, creative mind. Instead, get clear about whether you’re really abandoning things (Shiny Object Syndrome), or just stuck with indecision and lots of options.

If you keep calling every creative spark “Shiny Object Syndrome” and making it bad, you risk closing off your creativity… and getting stuck in negative self-talk that goes nowhere.

Seven Strategies to Channel Your Creative Ideas

So what do you do when you feel unfocused, indecisive, or scattered with ideas? Here are seven strategies that help you stay on track—without turning your creativity into a problem to be fixed.

1. Get Clear on Your Strategy and Priorities

Knowing exactly what you’re working toward makes a huge difference. If you don’t have clarity about your strategic direction, it’s super easy to get caught up watching what everyone else is doing, doubting yourself, and getting itchy for something new.

I’m a strategy nerd—I love business strategy! But I can still be too close to my own stuff. Sometimes I work with peers or a strategic advisor to get outside feedback, double-check for gaps in my plan, and stop myself from over-engineering. If strategy isn’t your zone of genius, get outside viewpoints to steer you back—quickly.

2. Commit to Your Chosen Strategy

Clarity alone isn’t enough; you need to believe in your strategy. Many entrepreneurs pick a direction (“This will be my lead generation method!”) and immediately hunt for where it’s not working, searching for evidence of its failure or reasons someone else’s strategy is better. You end up chasing tweaks instead of results.

The real magic is in committing. Any decent strategy can work—with enough commitment. So stop asking “Will this work?” and shift to “How do I make this work?” This reframes your relationship with data and encourages you to troubleshoot instead of abandoning ship. For example, if your lead magnet doesn’t convert after 32 people, don’t walk away. Ask, “How do I improve the funnel? What’s happening in the email open rates, or where are people dropping off the video?” Stick with it and tweak for success.

3. Use the Toy Box Method for Your Ideas

If your brain is always coming up with new things, you need somewhere safe for those ideas to land—the toy box! Whenever I have a spark for a new product, service, or piece of content, I jot it down and pop it in my “toy box” to play with later.

Sometimes, I schedule “play dates” with my toy box—time to revisit, develop, or simply dream on those ideas, so they don’t keep bugging me at random. This way, I’m not ignoring my creativity; I’m honouring it and strategically deciding when to explore those ideas, instead of letting them hijack my focus.

4. Build More Ideation and Creative Time Into Your Week

If your brain is both overloaded and understimulated, it will throw even more ideas at you! This is not about consuming more content—it’s about regularly making time to create, brainstorm, and play. Whether it’s art, journaling, pottery for me, or just free-writing in a scrapbook, make space to process all those inputs. Creation mode lets your brain synthesise and relax, taming the restless energy that can otherwise feel relentless.

5. Channel Creativity to the Actual Problem

Lots of entrepreneurs think the answer to slow sales or “stuckness” is creating a new paid offer. But often, it’s not your products that need multiplying—it’s your marketing and customer attraction. Ask yourself: Is the real problem lack of products, or lack of customers?

Before creating something new, see if you can redirect brilliant ideas into free content, webinars, workshops, guest appearances, or a piece for your podcast. This not only helps attract more clients to what you already offer—it stops you from building an endless string of half-baked paid products.

Often, when people cite objections in sales calls (“I need to work on this other thing before I buy!”), that’s your cue to create bridging content, not a new paid product. Meet your clients where they are with valuable free resources and let your offers do their job.

6. Plan Your Day to Focus Your Creative Energy

A messy or absent plan for the day? Your brain kicks into hyperdrive, making up new to-dos, ideas, and directions—often not the ones you need. To stay on track, I finish each workday with a ritual: write the top three or four tasks for tomorrow in my planner, close up shop, and place my planner on my keyboard. When I start tomorrow, I know exactly what matters—and I don’t open anything else until I see my priorities.

If your task list is too long, your brain goes into avoidance, inventing new distractions. Short, sharp lists keep the focus where it needs to be. How you end your day sets up how you start the next, so anchor your plans somewhere physical—right on your desk.

7. Work With a Mindset Practitioner

This one’s so often overlooked, but working with a mindset (or energetic) practitioner helps you break destructive thought patterns. Whether you’re at the startup stage or navigating growth, mindset challenges pop up and create self-sabotage—especially if you’re neurodivergent or bring a lot of self-criticism into business (like I did!).

In my Take Off program, it’s front and centre in the welcome module: get yourself some mindset support. Even if you can only access a bit of personalised help, it compounds your results. Mindset work lets you unpack blocks, interrogate what’s underneath, and keep moving without baggage. It’s the difference between learning the lesson and carrying unnecessary pain.

Your Creativity Is Your Superpower, Not a Weakness

So there you have it: my slightly hot take on Shiny Object Syndrome, with clarity about what true distraction looks like, and a strong case for honouring—rather than squashing—your creativity.

When you stop mislabeling creative ideation as a flaw, you create space for problem-solving, fun, and growth. Use these strategies to channel your ideas into things that matter, plan for completion (not just starting!), and keep frustration at bay.

Your Day 7 #Tashmas Gift!