New Shiny object syndrome
It’s easy at this time of year when all the planner companies launch their new products to get caught up in the fun of buying new things. New things are always fun because they come with a world of possibilities, and it feels good. If you’re anything like me then you have a stash of notebooks and pens and post it notes stored somewhere for a special day. I’ve started using them up slowly but that is a conversation for another day!
What I’m coming to say is this:
As tempting as it can be to buy new things when companies are advertising them 24 hours a day – it’s not always the best thing for your mind or your wallet.
So what do you do??
One. Take a look at what you already have and organise it. You might just surprise yourself with the good quality things you currently have that can last you a good few years. For me this involved organising my pens into zip cases and notebooks onto a spare shelf in the office. I found a couple of stationery pieces I had forgotten about like a few reels of washi tape and a box of sticker sheets. I make it habit to dip into my older stationery supplies first when I feel tempted to go buy something new.
Two. If you have run out of something like pens or cellotape or glue etc then obviously add that to a list of things to buy. You can do this with clothes for the seasons and also skincare products etc.
Three. Be grateful for the things you do have. I’m not talking about stationery or skincare here. I’m talking about the bigger overarching things in life like family and friends and jobs and money and freedom to think and talk about what you want. How does that connect to new shiny objects? Sometimes we use buying new things to make us feel better and fill up gaps in loneliness or boredom. The big question you can ask here is: “Do I really want this product? Or is it a temporary hit of happiness that will fade shortly?” Another thing you can do is join Facebook groups once you buy certain things to learn about how to use them – for example I started using a quarterly planner in the summer and joined the HB90 Alumni group to see how other people were using the same planner that I have. It stops me wanting to buy new planners and helps me to build friendships and community online. This works well for buying cars, courses, skin products and many other things. I do still get tempted when new goal planners come out but I literally go through this check list to see where I’m in the gap.
Four. Set up a wish list either on paper or digitally. Every time you feel like buying something new that you don’t need then bookmark it or take a screenshot and save it to your phone. You will get the dopamine hit of browsing and it won’t affect your bank balance. And that way if people ask you what you really want for your birthday or Christmas you will be able to send a list of varied things! Or if you want to treat yourself then you will have a list of things you really really want. Also be sure to go back regularly and delete things you no longer want. We all change as the seasons go on so things you once liked may not seem so interesting anymore or the other way round. You may find you like different things now.
Underneath the want to keep buying new things is a very real need for purpose and belonging and security. You won’t know the underlying emotion unless you dig into it. Being tempted by new shiny things is hard and change is a LOT easier said than done.
What things are you avoiding by going after new shiny objects?