I have an idea problem. And what I mean by that is I have a problem with too many new story ideas filling my brain. All the time. It’s not an actual problem per se, but when I’m trying to focus on a specific project and new ideas keep popping up in my head, it’s easy for me to become distracted. And that distraction interferes with me finishing what I’ve started.
I sit at my computer, my current work in progress (WIP) open in front of me, in bad need of editing and some rewriting. My mind wanders with new characters whispering to me, begging to be brought to life. Wisps of story ideas and plot points burrow themselves in my brain. Questions beg to be answered, especially what-ifs. I desperately try to capture each new spark in the Notes app on my phone, hoping doing so will free me up to focus on the task at hand.
Sometimes inspiration strikes while I’m grocery shopping, listening to music, exercising, reading, showering, or making dinner. Again, I dutifully jot the idea into my Notes app, but often, the new idea won’t let me go. The next time I’m at my computer to work on my current project, the new idea takes over and lures me away. Suddenly, the siren song of a new story is too enticing, and I’m setting aside my WIP for this latest burst of inspiration.
This is not a new or unusual struggle for writers. Dozens of writing memes exist, poking fun at this very thing. For grins and giggles, I searched the internet on the phenomenon and discovered an actual name has been given to this affliction: Shiny New Object Syndrome.
Shiny New Object Syndrome—also known as Shiny New Thing Syndrome or Shiny New Idea Syndrome—manifests as a compulsion to chase a new idea, shelving the hard work one is currently slogging through in exchange for something new, fun, and exciting. In The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle, Steven Pressfield calls this barrier Resistance and aptly declares it the enemy of creativity.
Where does this Resistance come from? Pressfield says it’s fear. But, he maintains that fear is a good thing that can and should spur writers on to answer the call on our hearts to write.
“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do.
Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.
Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That’s why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there’d be no Resistance.”
~Steven Pressfield, The Art of War: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
Soooooo, shiny object syndrome is resistance. Resistance is fear. And fear is good. Hmmmmm. How to push through and use the fear for our benefit? I think the answer is discipline. Motivation is great, but discipline is where the rubber meets the road. Motivation is a noun, but discipline is a verb, an action. There are numerous iterations of the quote about discipline prevailing when motivation fails. But it’s true. To accomplish our goals, we have to just show up, day after day, and put in the work. Only then can I work toward finishing—and finishing well.
“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.” ~Steven Pressfield, The Art of War: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
I remember clearly when I realized I was ignoring the call on my heart to my detriment. I had dreamed of writing for so long but set it aside as life grew busier and my priorities pivoted to other important things (you know, raising kids and such). But I had free time. Free time I assigned to other, less important things like reading or watching TV. I could be a better steward of my time to accommodate a writing schedule. I only finally acted when the characters and stories in my head and heart became so consuming that the thought of not getting them out caused me great anguish. I was compelled to start writing again. In this case, fear of never accomplishing what I felt God created me to do was enough to jumpstart my return to writing.
“Someone once asked [prolific English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer] Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. ‘I write only when inspiration strikes,’ he replied. ‘Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.’”
~Steven Pressfield, The Art of War: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
It’s been slow going, but eventually, I’ve settled into a routine that puts me at my computer a minimum of four days a week. Whether I feel like it or not—whether the motivation or inspiration is there or not—I push through, relying on my discipline to sit at the keyboard and bang out words. For writing blog posts, working on a novel, or penning a short piece. I tap into my discipline for edits, brainstorming, notes, and research. And now, I’m working on training my mind to stay focused on whatever work I have chosen for my writing time and not allowing myself to be tempted by shiny new things. I trust that in time, the discipline to finish what I start will come, too.
What is your experience with shiny new object syndrome? What shiny new thing has been pulling you away from finishing well? And what are you doing about it?