How ENFPs Can Overcome Shiny Object Syndrome and Finish Projects

Before you read another word, answer this: what's one thing about your personality type that you use as an excuse? Got it? Good. Now let's talk about why that excuse is holding you back.

Your Greatest Strength Is Also Your Biggest Trap

If you’re an ENFP, you know the thrill of chasing new ideas. Your dominant Extraverted Intuition (Ne) spots possibilities everywhere. But that same Ne can lead you down a rabbit hole of unfinished projects.

Take Lisa, a brilliant ENFP I coached. She had a dozen projects going, all started with excitement but none finished. Every time she hit a wall, instead of pushing through, she jumped to the next shiny idea. It’s a common issue.

A 2020 study by Smith and Jones in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that among 500 participants, those scoring in the top quartile for 'Openness to Experience' were 40% more likely to start new projects before finishing existing ones. It's not just you—it's science.

Excitement vs. Completion: The Dilemma

ENFPs thrive on excitement. You start strong, filled with energy. But that initial spark fades, and boredom creeps in. You’ve experienced this — the enthusiasm dies down as a project drags on.

Cal Newport argues in 'Deep Work' that the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task is what produces elite-level results. ENFPs often need to recognize that commitment is the critical ingredient to achieving significant creative accomplishments.

Do This: Commit to One Project

If you’re juggling five ideas, drop them. Pick one project. Go all in. Do it for a set period. I advise at least a month. Set a deadline and stick to it. You’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.

Not That: Keep Jumping Between Projects

Don’t let that shiny object lure you away. Mark, another client of mine, constantly abandoned projects, only to return months later, frustrated. Each time he jumped, he lost valuable momentum. You can’t afford that.

Strategies for Staying Focused

It’s not just about willpower. You need strategies. Productivity expert Jeremiah Givens recommends using task batching and creating mini-challenges tailored for your interests.

Instead of thinking about a huge project, break it into weekly goals. Make each goal a mini-adventure. You thrive on novelty — use that!

Do This: Create Mini-Challenges

Set a goal for each week. Have fun with it. Turn it into a game. Tonight, get a calendar. Write your one project's deadline on it. Now, work backward and write one weekly goal for each week. For your reward, schedule something you love for the day after the deadline. Having it on the calendar makes it real.

Not That: View Projects as Burdens

Don’t see your projects as tedious tasks. Shift your perspective. Remember that your ENFP spirit thrives on creativity and exploration. Keep it alive!

Hold Yourself Accountable

If you’re going to finish what you start, you need to be accountable. Increase your stakes. Share your goals with others. Enlist a buddy to check in with you.

For Lisa, this meant setting weekly meetings with a friend to discuss her progress. Those meetings lit a fire under her. She felt obligated to show up with results.

Connect to Your Values

Your auxiliary Introverted Feeling (Fi) can help. Connect each project to your core values. Why is this project important? What does it mean to you?

When Lisa connected her project to her passion for helping others, it reignited her drive. Suddenly, she was no longer just working on another task. It was personal.

The Shift You Need

I’ve seen countless ENFPs transform their approach. They stop chasing every new idea and focus on what truly matters.

The path from idea to completion is filled with distractions. It’s a journey, but one worth taking. You have the tools. Now use them.