One of the biggest problems to face an online marketer is Shiny Object Syndrome.

Symptoms include an inbox dominated by unopened emails because you are subscribing to more newsletters than you can possibly read, having more online courses on your hard drive than you can work through, having more training videos or webinars to watch each week than you could possibly fit in to seven evenings and being a member of more online groups than you could ever keep up with.

A pre-internet way of describing this would have been to say you are trying to get a quart into a pint pot. It just can’t be done.

Yet it’s probably the one thing that most aspiring internet marketers do. Such is the thirst for knowledge and success that we just keep buying and subscribing, even if there is no hope of consuming.

You start using one method of making money or getting traffic, find it doesn’t work as quickly or as easily as you’d like and jump to the next method that’s being promoted. Consequently you don’t really focus on and implement what you learn, but spend your time jumping from one course of action to the next. This is the problem I outlined in my book ‘How to Break the IM Cycle’.

So what’s the cure?

There are a number of steps you can take. Here are five that will help relieve the above symptoms.

1. Unsubscribe from every mailing list except the few that are most helpful. Avoid those who just send you product recommendations with affiliate links.

2. Only visit forums when you are seeking an answer to a specific question. You could also apply this rule to Facebook groups but they can be a useful way of networking and building useful connections.

3. Focus on one method and follow a plan of action until you are achieving your objective, whether it is getting traffic, making money or whatever. If it’s not working do not look for an alternative until you are convinced you have given the method everything you’ve got. Don’t kid yourself on this point. It is vital you remain brutally honest with yourself.

4. Have an accountability partner or declare your intention publicly so that you are held to account regarding your progress each week.

5. Before moving on to another method challenge yourself to create faster, more efficient systems to increase the results you are getting. Master one method before moving on to the next.

These are five steps that can cure shiny object syndrome. Apply them on a regular basis until you’re cured. If you feel you need stronger solutions, clarification on the above or want to know how to build your online income take a look at my free book ‘How to Break the IM Cycle’ which you can get at the top of the page.