If you struggle to find your niche, read this.

But when you look for online success, everybody tells you:

"Find one thing and focus on it for the next 2 years."

I wish.

I'm yet to see what it's like to stick to 1 niche for over 6 months.

Over the past 2 years, I've started over several times.

Check out my "timeline":

July 2021: "I will write Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning articles. Full-time."

January 2022: "Forget AI! I will become a Blockchain Developer and an expert in crypto & Web 3."

June 2022: "No more Blockchain & Web 3. I need to focus on my full-time job as a Front-end Developer."

September 2022: "I love Huberman Lab Podcast! And I love learning. I'll write about neuroscience, the human brain, and learning how to learn."

February 2023: "I want to be a world-class dad. I'll create content about fatherhood and raising smart kids."

March 2023: "I don't want any niche! I'm a nicheless creator. I'll write about what I learn about."

May 2023 (today): "I will be an expert in ChatGPT & prompt engineering."

And in between, I wrote about other things, too:

• book summaries,

• how to write better,

• personal development,

• building a second brain.

So first, let me tell you what I've learned from changing niches so often.

8 Lessons From Not Sticking to One Niche.

“The difference between average results and exceptional ones is what you avoid.” Shane Parrish.

1. It’s easy to find a new passion. It’s difficult to maintain that passion without giving up.

Our brains love novelty.

Exploring new interests is exciting. But sustaining long-term commitment is different. When the early obsession passes, boredom hits. And exploring newer topics becomes even more tempting.

2. Changing niches leads to a lot of knowledge but too little execution.

The balance between learning and implementing is crucial.

But at the beginning, execution is complex. So before you create, you need to learn. Changing niches too often puts you in the learning mode for too long.

3. Changing niches destroys your long-term professional plans.

My long-term career goals have changed too many times.

And it prevented me from achieving anything big (so far).

4. It's hard to build an audience if you keep changing topics.

Changing topics confuses your audience.

Sadly, I've confused my audience too many times!

I'd get 100 various answers if I asked my LinkedIn followers, "What is my expertise?"

I wish I could change that.

5. Changing niches creates a sense of fulfillment.

I have a graveyard of unfinished projects.

It's difficult to see progress when you don't finish what you start.

Unfinished projects make me feel like a quitter.

6. Starting over is frustrating.

Pressing the "restart" button means you throw away a lot:

• long-term goals,

• months of progress,

• time and effort invested,

• audience targeted to that niche.

So changing my niches has always been emotional. It leads to self-doubt, lack of purpose, and the sense of being aimless.

7. Long-term growth requires focus.

To impact others, you need to focus on one primary niche.

It'll allow you to go deep and develop unique insights.

It takes time to become a go-to resource in a chosen niche.

8. Changing niches made me a quitter.

Learning is my comfort zone; implementing isn't.

So when projects got difficult I looked for escape. So I found a new, shiny thing.

And that reinforced my quitter mentality.

So changing niches too often has pretty damaging results.

That's why I hope I'll stick to prompt engineering for years.

But I don't trust myself anymore...

I've failed to stick to one thing too many times.

Let's talk about Shiny Object Syndrome...

Shiny Object Syndrome.

Shiny Object Syndrome is when people get easily distracted by new and exciting things, losing focus on their current tasks or goals.

I'm so guilty of that!

I lost focus too many times.

I've killed my long-term goals.

And I've got a graveyard of unfinished projects.

So it doesn't look good when I zoom out...

But I truly believed I made the right and logical decisions.

Every niche was a reasonable choice.

Here's the logic behind each topic:

• Artificial Intelligence - I knew how to code. Plus, I've always been good at math. So it felt like a natural move for me.

• Blockchain - also in crypto, there's a lot of math and programming.

• Neuroscience - I couldn't stop listening to Huberman. I took notes from each episode and wanted to share them with others. And the human brain fascinates me.

• Learning how to learn - I fell in love with learning at 32. So I had to learn how to learn quickly. And again, I wanted to share it with others.

• Raising smart kids - as a father, I want my kids to love learning (so they don't waste 32 years of progress like me). So creating content about raising smart kids looked reasonable.

But I didn't know 2 crucial things:

1. We make decisions based on emotions. Then, we justify them with logic.

2. Just because you like it or it's important to you, you don't necessarily turn it into your niche.

My 8 lessons are rather negative, but...

Exploring has reshaped my life.

So let me tell you about the benefits of change:

• adaptability

• creativity boost

• personal growth

• broader skill range

• high career flexibility

• diversified viewpoints

• improved problem-solving

• diversified career opportunities

• meeting inspiring people from different fields

(I'll get into more details in the following weeks).

But here are the biggest benefits...

I'm much closer to doing what I truly love!

“Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Confucius.

Discovering your true passions is impossible if you don't try to find them.

I bet on myself and let curiosity guide me.

And yes, I've made mistakes.

If I could go back in time, I'd choose the same path.

But I've been exploring for long enough.

And I finally want to stick to one niche for years.

Having Shiny Object Syndrome and my experience in mind, I came up with an action plan.

I'll use it for Prompt Engineering.

Use it if you're a victim of Shiny Object Syndrome.

9 Practical tips to finally stick to one niche for years.

1. Create a long-term vision and keep it in front of you.

You need to outline a long-term vision that aligns with their values.

Set ambitious goals.

Define the impact you want to make in a specific area.

Use it as a guiding compass.

2. Start a small project. And finish it!

Find a manageable project.

Apply just-in-time learning! Learn only what is necessary to accomplish the project.

Finish the project!

3. Set small, short-term goals for fulfillment.

Set achievable, short-term goals to gain momentum.

They should be easy to accomplish.

Tangible results will inspire and motivate you to keep going.

4. Find a healthy balance between focus and exploration.

Prioritize focus.

But allocate a dedicated time each week, such as one hour, for exploration.

It broadens perspectives and keeps things interesting.

5. Find a niche with huge growth potential.

Seek niches that offer significant growth potential and are evolving.

This provides a sense of novelty and excitement.

But manage the pace carefully.

Staying up-to-date in fast-evolving niches (like AI) may be overwhelming.

Accept that nobody knows everything about the niche.

6. Explore and experiment within your niche.

Test new ideas, approaches, and content formats to uncover what resonates with the target audience.

Actively explore and experiment within your niche.

It'll push your personal growth and widen your viewpoint.

7. Write a letter for your future self as a reminder.

Explain to future-self why you chose your niche.

Envision future.

Read this letter whenever doubts arise about switching to a new niche.

Use it as a powerful reminder of your initial motivation.

8. Create content from the start and showcase progress.

Begin creating content early from day 1.

Share your learnings, teach others, and document the results of your projects. Even the simple ones.

This establishes credibility, builds an audience, and demonstrates expertise within your chosen niche.

9. Find a community and accountability partners.

Actively seek out communities and accountability partners within your niche.

Engaging with like-minded peers provides support, guidance, and opportunities for collaboration.

It'll enhance your growth and progress.

Final Thoughts

Changing my niche cost me struggles and challenges.

But it also armed me with experience and even wisdom.

And it taught me how to create authentic and high-integrity life.

Week's Highlights

1. Why Being a Generalist is the Key to Success | The Naval Ravikant

   • It's hard to start over if you're a specialist. Generalists are better equipped

2. Dan's newsletter - Generalists are taking over the creator's economy

3. OpenAI released ChatGPT plugins and web browsing. I spend hours exploring them. They will be amazing! Sadly, they are buggy. So a dose of disappointment cooled down the initial excitement.

Thanks for reading.

See you next week!

Kris