The day I quit being the productivity guy

I spent years obsessing over niche selection.

When I was a Forbes columnist, branding myself as “the productivity and leadership guy” seemed like a safe bet.

I covered topics like time management, leadership, and getting sh*t done at work.
I mapped dozens of hot niche-specific topics in a spreadsheet and published articles like:

• The Fastest Way To Accomplish More This Week
• How To Use The 4 Ds Of Time Management
• 4 Common Mistakes New Home Workers Make

I wrote about these topics not because they were fun but because they felt like things to cover for my niche.

Forbes killed me column after a few years. So I jacked in trying to become the productivity guy.

Now, I look back at all this content and think, “booooring!”

Screw niches. These days, I don’t worry about niche selection at all. When talking to a friend, you don’t announce, “I’m going to talk about all things productivity.”

Instead:

• Capture notes about what you find interesting
• Look for patterns between each of your notes
• Turn your notes into content
• Test this content with your audience

Do this, and a niche will form around you and your interests. I call this principle writing from the bottom up. It’s more fun to create this way, and it’s more enjoyable for your readers.

That’s one of the principles I teach in my course The Zettelkästen Method for Writers. It’s open today.