Why your goals are more important than the next big thing: A shiny object syndrome tale

I love hiking. It’s a low-impact way for me to get exercise and be in nature. So when I knew my partner and I were going to Washington state, my goal was to find a trail that was 1) easy to hike (I have a small disability from an accident) and that 2) also had great natural beauty.

Then I went online.

Does social media ever just get the best of you? It did when I was searching for hikes.

There I was on Instagram, *convinced* I was going to hike trails around Mt. Rainier, the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range and the highest volcanic peak (yes, it’s an active volcano!) in the U.S. I was specifically obsessed with going on a hike to the Enchantments, watching video after video that made it seem like everyone and their sister could manage this hike.

The videos and pictures looked amazing. This hike was my shiny object, and I was mesmerized.

I had taken my eye off the goal.

After officially booking tickets to Seattle, I started doing real research about these hikes. Turns out, some of the hikes I was captivated by take 5–10 hours. These are arduous trips through steep inclines and rocky areas. 😅 Reality began sinking in because of my physical limitations.

So, I realigned myself with my goal, pivoted and ended up on a reasonable hike with ADA trails and breathtaking, beautiful views.

That hike and those views were the peak of our trip (pun intended).

And that’s just like ✨shiny object syndrome✨, isn’t it? Distracting us from progress by making us obsess about perfection.

When we start by looking at where we are at in life, business, or whatever else, it’s easier to make strides to create success (an awesome and reasonable hike, for example) instead of committing to an ideal that will cause pain, frustration, and disappointment.

Remember: your goal will always be more important than the next “big thing.”