If you've been browsing the entrepreneur world for a bit you've probably come across the mantra of "niching down".
Having a clearly defined niche - i.e., a very specific set of skills or services you can offer to a very specific group of people - is the number one step to success. And it's not only helpful if you're starting a business but also when you're applying to jobs in or outside academia. Some even go so far as to say a niche (in that case often referred to as "purpose") is the key ingredient for life satisfaction and happiness.
The only issue is: it can be hard to find.
The idea of having one purpose in life can be paralyzing, at least it is for me. What if I find the "wrong" purpose? What if it sends me down the wrong (career) path? All I can come up with feels too small to be guiding the rest of my life! And what happens then is that I drop the idea of finding my niche altogether because I'm scared to "make a mistake".
If that sounds familiar, I suggest two things that helped me get closer to my niche without stressing too much about it:
Don't make it your life's purpose. Life is so long (hopefully) and the future unforeseeable so the idea of deciding now what you want to focus on for the rest of your life is just not helpful. Think about now and the foreseeable future instead. Maybe that's five years, maybe ten, but don't make it fifty!
In your skills and passions look for those that are complementary or even opposing. For example, I am a natural scientist by training but science never came easy to me. I'm much more talented at and interested into learning languages and writing. That's something that sets me apart from many natural scientists and was one reason why I landed my job in Science communication.
What's your take on niching down? Let me know in the replies!