How many times have you heard about shiny object syndrome?

It has another phrase, “the other side of the grass is always greener.”

Moreover, you sometimes feel that some profession is better than yours and want to leap over it.

There is always someone dreaming of your position, be it a job or freelancing or owning a business.

As you know, I always start from the root cause. Let’s focus on finding why it happens in the first place.

Why You Feel the Other Side of The Grass is Always Greener

An employee wants to be a freelancer because of boredom due to mundane tasks. — As he can work on different client projects.

A freelancer wants to go back to a job for the same reason. — The reason might be boredom due to mundane processes.

There will always be something you complain about and feel is better than yours.

It happens when you don’t appreciate what you have.

Let’s consider both cases, being an employee and being a freelancer. Moreover, freelancing is the beginning of an entrepreneurship journey. So we won’t be speaking about being an entrepreneur, and the benefits are similar.

What are your benefits if you are an employee?

1. You get a fixed pay every month irrespective of the market condition.
2. Meet new people.
3. Access to a community.
4. You have an identity.
5. Medical benefits

I haven’t been into corporate. So, if I missed any benefit, you can update me by commenting.

Benefits of being a freelancer:

1. You can work when you feel like working.
2. Is there is a family gathering or party at a friend’s home? — You can attend as you are your boss.
3. Work wherever you want. — Yesterday, I was completing a task while waiting for a friend outside.
4. You keep all the profits for the work you deliver. — You never feel underpaid as you quote your prices.
5. Control over jobs and clients. — If you are not enjoying the work in any stream, you can always change the client.

Unfortunately, for the same benefits, employees prefer freelancing over their job.

However, for the same benefits that employees have, freelancers want to go back to a job thinking it is better than what they are doing.

Which is Better Sticking or Shifting? | Shiny Object Syndrome

Now, you may be wondering if I am telling you to stay with your current profession. But I am not. You have to follow one steps to understand which is the right step for you.

You may be an employee or a freelancer and looking towards transitioning to a new profession.

Whichever profession is in your mind, find at least five persons in that profession for a decent time.

Build a connection with them and say what’s on your mind mentioning you want to transition into their profession. Also, you want to know how it feels being in it. This step helps you in understanding if reality is matching with what’s on your mind.

You may be overworking in your job and feel that freelancers will have more time. But there may be one freelancer who is overworking day in and day out. And vice-versa.

But there may be freelancers and employees who are having a work-life balance. It all depends on how you carry the work.

Final Thoughts

Transitions for better things is always good and it need not be always due to shiny object syndrome. But finding the reality in those is also equally important. But you can find the actual scenario only when you speak with different persons in your dream profession. It cleans your perceptions off your lens and helps you see the ground reality. Then you can make a well-informed decision and live by it.

PS: Always speak with someone with whom you can relate when you want to make better decisions. The reason is we are all trained to believe that there are certain limitations in life. Because of that, remarkable outcomes turn into success stories, further into legends which then turn into myths. Because you always feel what worked for them may not work for you. But the truth is, certain principles are universal and won’t fade away with time.

Did I miss anything? If you find value in this, could you share your thoughts by commenting? It would mean the world to me.