Enjoy the grind of streaming

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 Enjoy the grind of streaming


Streaming may seem like an uphill battle when you're just starting out. You might think everyone else is ahead of you, that they have better equipment, better hosting techniques, or even better gaming skills. This is a very dark rabbit hole to fall into, which has stopped streamers from starting their journey or quitting before they've even given it a try. Keep in mind that established streamers used to be where you are today and have worked hard to get there. Streaming is difficult and constantly challenging, so instead of comparing yourself to others and focusing on what they have, you need to enjoy the process of growing your channel. 


Redefine Success


We spend a lot of time observing the achievements of others and constantly seeking inspiration on how we can achieve success. Doing that results in a never-ending race that gets us nowhere as we are blindly competing without purpose. As streamers, it is important to know that we will never truly measure up against other channels and that it is okay. We must learn to love our journey and not the destination, as cliché as that sounds. Every second you spend building your channel, the problem-solving, and the hours logged being live, are the things that should bring you joy. Knowing that you are working towards your goals is a true sign of accomplishment. We need to define our standards for happiness and follow them. It is only then that we will be successful. 


What you don’t know can’t hurt you


Streamers, whether we recognize it or not, are under constant peer pressure. We often believe that we don’t have a good enough microphone, webcam, or social media presence, or have the same games that others have and as a result, we believe our streams are inferior. This can cause us to become insecure and grow frustrated with our streams. This thought process can be difficult to overcome, but we must remember that we are unique, and we don’t have to stack up to other streamers to find our worth. Let’s go over ways to overcome peer pressure. 


One way is to not watch streams. This may sound counterintuitive to the previous entry (Networking: 3 easy tips) where we talked about networking in other channels. The difference here is not to binge large streamer content, because you will undoubtedly subconsciously start measuring your stream's worth against theirs. The key is to find channels that are similar in size to yours.  You certainly want to get to know other streamers, get inspired by ideas they use on their channel, and meet their communities, but don’t fall into the trap of consuming so much content that you forget how much work is required to create your own. You have to make time to work on your content. 


Work on your stream, not your setup


On your streaming journey, there will always be obstacles to overcome and more pieces of equipment to buy.  You won’t feel better by artificially boosting the quality of your stream by buying equipment because once you buy the new mic or new camera there will always be something better. This is something I’ve done on my journey and now have a setup I am proud of, but it has not helped the growth of my channel. 


You will see more growth by working on aspects of your stream that go far beyond your equipment. What I mean by that is that you need to focus on things that will help you hone your craft. For example, work on setting goals and developing a strategy for your streams. Stream consistently by creating a schedule that works for you and can help promote trust and encourage regular viewing. Work on interacting with your audience and allowing them to get to know you. You need to spend time networking and promoting yourself on social media. These are the things that will help you grow your channel and things you can work on without having to spend money on the best gear. 


Final thoughts


Streaming is not an easy journey, but it can be extremely rewarding and fun. Think about streaming as you would your favorite video game. Some levels can be a challenge, but you keep trying until you overcome those challenges, and it is satisfying when you finally pass that level. That same mentality can be used with streaming, each follower, viewer, or subscriber milestone is like beating the level but everything up to those milestones should be the actual fun part. The gratification doesn’t come from reaching a certain number but rather from knowing you are working towards goals. Last but not least, Love the daily grind rather than the distant rewards if you want to truly last for the long haul in the streaming world.

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