There’s a specific rush that comes from starting something new. It’s dopamine on tap. No bugs, no feedback, no complexity yet. Just vibes.

Every new idea looks clean. Sharp. Full of potential. And when you compare that to the slow, gnarly middle of your current project, it’s easy to think:

“This one will be different.”

Spoiler: it won’t.

This is shiny new object syndrome. It shows up exactly when you’re most vulnerable — when the hard part begins. When your current thing stops being fun and starts being work. So instead of pushing through, your brain whispers, “What if we just… started over?” And boom — you’re chasing again.

The problem isn’t starting over. Sometimes that is the right move. But if you never get far enough to know what your ideas become under pressure — then you’re not learning. You’re just scratching surfaces.

And I say this as someone who’s lived that loop more times than I can count.

The danger is that starting feels like progress. You can trick yourself into thinking you’re moving forward just because you’re moving. But forward momentum and starting motion are two different things.

So how do you break the cycle?

I’ve found that tracking progress — even tiny, ugly progress — helps anchor me. If you can see the path you’ve already walked, it becomes harder to ditch it for the dopamine of a fresh start.

A few small things that help:

• Weekly updates to yourself. Even if it’s just “didn’t get much done.” That’s still a record. Still real.

• Visual progress. A changelog. A folder of screenshots. Anything that reminds you this thing is growing.

• Talk it out. Sometimes just explaining what you’re stuck on out loud makes it clearer — and less tempting to run from.

The goal isn’t to shame yourself into grinding. It’s to be wiser about the moment. When you feel that urge to jump ship, just pause and ask:

“Is this idea actually better — or just newer?”

There’s nothing wrong with chasing exciting ideas. Just don’t forget that staying the course is a superpower too. Most people can’t do it. So if you can build that muscle, even a little, it compounds.

Because the people who finish things? They’re not smarter. They’re just the ones who kept going when it got boring.