How to Avoid the Bright Shiny Object Syndrome

It’s easy to fall prey to it.

That gnawing feeling in your stomach… the 3 am worry spiral whispering… 

What if I lose my job? 

What if I never have enough? 

And then, bam! 

You’re hit with an ad that promises to solve it all:

“Earn $10K a Month in Your Sleep!”
“Launch Your Passive Income Empire in 30 Days!”
“Escape the 9–5 with this simple hack!”

Sounds like a lifeline, right?

But this is where the Bright Shiny Object Syndrome strikes hard. 

If you’re not alert to this devastating psychological trap, you’ll end up with an empty wallet, a heavier load of guilt, and yet another online course collecting digital dust.

Let’s slow this down. 

👉 WATCH THIS VIDEO ON HOW TO AVOID BRIGHT SHINY OBJECTS

⚠️ The Bright Shiny Trap Is Real, and Costly

When fear is driving our decisions…

… fear of losing income, fear of being behind, fear of never getting ahead, and the good, only reliable favorite FOMO Fear-Of-Missing-Out  - we become hyper-vulnerable to big promises and stupid decisions. 

Add a sprinkle of social proof, some fear-based marketing, a ticking countdown timer, and BOOM. We’re sold.

But here’s the unsexy truth:

Real wealth takes time. 

Real businesses take effort. 

Real income is never passive.

The success stories you see on sales pages? Cherry-picked. Often exaggerated. Sometimes, even fabricated. 

And even if they’re “real,” they’re not your reality. 

You’re not them. 

Your time, skills, capacity, and current financial foundation are yours. 

Own them.

💡 So What Should You Do Instead?

Here’s how you take back your power with five truths.

1. Be Honest About Your Motivation

Is this pull coming from greed? 

If you “more monster” has the wheel of your life bus, you will forever be chasing the way to get “there faster”, to have more, to compare yourself with others, and feel an urgency to find a faster, quicker, easier way. 

Is this push coming from fear?

Fear you’ll never get there, fear you're not enough, fear you’ve left it too late.

Two different motivations, both seeking the easy quick fix.

Are you investing in real skills you will apply to grow your capacity and capability, or are you hoping to be rescued by this thing?

That little “rescue me” voice in your head might sound like hope, but it often leads to crash-course spending that doesn’t stick. 

Same as fad diets. 

Same as get-rich-quick schemes. 

They’re shiny. 

But that shine is fool's gold. It rubs off fast.

2. Stop Searching for “Passive Income”

Spoiler Alert - passive income does NOT exist!

I try to never use the phrase passive income because it doesn’t exist in the magical way we wish it did.

All income is earned.

All income comes from an exchange of value.

Let me clarify that - all sustainable income comes from an exchange of value. Sure, there are scams and Ponzi schemes that have nothing of substance behind them - but they all inevitably collapse, and going for these things is NOT a wealthy life strategy at all.

Money flows to value. 

Create value, and money will flow in exchange for it. And then leverage it.

So think leveraged income - not passive.

The aim is to create assets that  

deliver the value and you get the benefit. 

Investment property delivers the value - you get the rental income

The companies whose shares you own deliver the value - you get the dividends

The high-quality, massive value online course you create delivers the value using automated systems, and you get the benefit of leveraged reach.

AND… whilst you are not the one delivering the value directly 

Every investment needs attention and management - with some like index trackers needing very little - but you can’t just neglect them. 

Even businesses require effort, testing, and evolution.

So ditch the fantasy of passive income and embrace low-input, leveraged, high-value exchange instead.

3. Build a Solid Foundation First

You want extra income? 

First, plug the holes in your wealth pantry.

👉Are you overspending? 

👉Carrying consumer debt? 

👉Not investing regularly with what you already have? 

More income won’t help if your habits are leaking money. 

Get the Wealth Pie Money management system implemented in your life.

Create a spending plan. 

Eliminate the waste.

Reduce the pressure. 

Build an emergency fund. 

Then look at adding more sustainable income streams.

4. Ask Better Questions Before You Buy

Pause before clicking that “Enroll Now” button and ask:

• Does this actually solve my current problem?
  

• Does it fit with my skills, time, and energy?
  

• What’s the total cost (money + time + risk)?
  

• Will I do the work and stick with this?
  

If the answer is fuzzy, walk away.

5. Be Honest About Your Past Habits

How many programs have you bought and never finished?
Do you tend to hope the buying itself will create transformation?

Self-awareness is the key to transformation. 

If you know you struggle to follow through, don’t buy more. 

Start with changing that habit first.

💥 You Are Not Broken. 

This isn’t about shame, it’s about sovereignty.

You don’t need rescuing.
You don’t need another shiny program.
You need commitment, clarity, and a solid plan.

When you ground your decisions in truth, not panic, you move towards real, sustainable wealth.

It’s not flashy.
It’s not fast.
But it is the path that lasts.

With fierce love and wealthy wishes,
Ann x