Picking a niche or area of specialization is terrifying for many. It was for me the first time I “made the leap”.
You feel like you’ll quickly get bored of doing the same thing day in and day out. But what actually happens is the opposite.
Your work becomes more like art.
Each client you work with, each new detail you add to your methodology, each new process you perfect becomes like an additional brush stroke on your path toward mastery.
And the opposite is also true.
Once a situation comes along that breaks the mold of your expertise, you don’t really enjoy it like you once did. It’s not the fresh challenge you once enjoyed.
Instead, you see the imposter in yourself that you once were. The amateur willing to learn on the clients’ dime.
To be clear, I’m not saying all those who don’t specialize are amateurs learning on the dimes of their clients. There are plenty of highly talented generalists who do great work.
It just feels like that internally for you after being a specialist for a long time.
Once you specialize, it’s hard to go back.