We’ve all been there. Your phone rings, and a potential client asks, “Do you also do [insert service tangentially related to your actual expertise]?” Before your brain can fully engage, your mouth cheerfully responds, “Of course we can help with that!”
Future You is already screaming, “What are you thinking!?!”
Here’s the thing: Present You is an optimistic people-pleaser who thinks they’re creating opportunities. Future You is the one who actually has to figure out how to deliver on those promises while maintaining quality, profitability, and some semblance of sanity.
So let’s talk about why Future You keeps sending Present You angry text messages, and more importantly, how to make peace between them.
The “Yes” Trap: When Opportunity Becomes Overwhelm
Picture this: You’re a graphic designer who specializes in brand identity. A client loves your logo work and asks if you can also handle their social media management. Present You sees dollar signs and says yes. Future You now has to become a social media expert, content creator, and analytics guru overnight – all while your actual brand identity projects pile up.
Or you’re a machine shop specializing in precision CNC milling for aerospace parts. A long-time customer asks if you can also handle their powder coating needs. Present You sees a chance to deepen the relationship and says yes. Future You now has to invest in entirely new equipment, learn complex finishing processes, meet different regulatory requirements, and manage a new workflow – all while your core machining projects fall behind schedule and your expertise in aerospace precision gets diluted.
It’s like going to a steakhouse and finding out they also offer sushi, pizza, and tax preparation services. Would you eat that sushi?
The Scale-Killing Cost of Customization
Here’s what I’ve learned – both through my own business and from the small business owners I work with: Making key decisions upfront isn’t just about being prepared. It’s about creating a business that can actually grow without crushing your soul.
Think about it this way: If you’re constantly reinventing your:
- Target audience
- Pricing structure
- Service offerings
- Delivery methods
…for each new client, you’re essentially running a different business for every customer. That’s not scaling – that’s cloning yourself into increasingly tired versions of yourself.
And it makes it harder for people to refer business to you when you don’t clearly define your capabilities or customer type. If you are everything to everyone, how do people share that? Yup, they have great steak, and sushi, and you can do your taxes while you eat!
If you are the custom aerospace parts machine shop, now you stand out from the crowd.
How to Make Future You Your Biggest Fan
1. Define Your Non-Negotiables Now
Start with clear decisions about:
- Who you serve (and equally important, who you don’t)
- What you charge (and stick to it! No special exceptions just this one time!)
- Which services align with your expertise and goals
- How you deliver those services
2. Create Your “Thanks, But No Thanks” Script
Practice saying: “While we don’t offer that service, I can recommend someone who specializes in it.” Future You will thank you for every client you didn’t try to serve outside your wheelhouse. And those referral sources may just send work your way when it’s outside of their specialty as well. (Check out some tips on saying “No” from HBR)
3. Document Your Decisions
Write down your service boundaries, pricing structure, and target market – all those “non-negotiables” from Step 1. When Present You is tempted to deviate, Future You has evidence to cite in the intervention.
The Paradox of Planning
Here’s the beautiful irony: The more you plan and stick to your boundaries now, the more flexibility you’ll actually have later. Why? Because you’ll have:
- A stable, focused business model
- Deep expertise in your chosen areas
- Efficient systems and processes
- Time to actually think strategically about growth
- Clear messaging for future referrals
A Letter from Future You
Dear Present You,
Thank you for not saying yes to that wedding photography gig when we’re a B2B software consultant. Thank you for charging what we’re worth instead of trying to compete on price. Thank you for staying focused on our target market instead of chasing every shiny opportunity.
P.S. – Remember that time you said we could definitely handle that rush project over our vacation week? We need to talk about that.
Love,
Future You
The Bottom Line
The decisions you make today shape the business you’ll run tomorrow. While Present You might feel like saying yes to everything keeps doors open, it actually closes the door on sustainable growth and mastery of your craft.
Want to make Future You happy? Start making those tough decisions now. Set your boundaries. Define your focus. And remember: every time you say no to something that’s not aligned with your core business, you’re saying yes to becoming exceptional at what you actually do best.
