Boost Streaming Motivation

 Boost Streaming Motivation

Motivation is an invaluable resource when creating content as a streamer. Everything we do relies on it, and the more we have, the quicker we can accomplish our tasks. That's why we have to prioritize gathering and protecting this precious asset. We have covered various topics like finding motivation, tricking yourself into staying motivated, and turning motivation into a habit. This time, we want to dive deeper into why we lose motivation and how to prevent it from slipping away. Ultimately, it all comes down to this: when streaming, it's always better to show rather than tell.

Quiet Focus

A couple of years ago, I decided to increase the number of self-help books I read. As there is so much useful information out there, I knew I needed to make a change, so I could gain more insight. But since I already read at a decent pace, speeding up my reading wasn’t going to make a significant difference. Then, I noticed an interesting pattern: whenever I told someone about a new self-help book I was reading, my reading pace slowed down, not because I was reading more slowly, but because I picked up the book less often. It seemed that every time I shared what I was reading, my motivation would drop.

So instead of focusing on speed-reading techniques, I made a simple adjustment: I would only tell someone about a book I was reading after I had gotten at least half of it. This allowed me to become fully engaged with the book, and spend time reflecting on the content before anyone else knew I was reading it. I also made a rule not to mention any book I planned to read but hadn’t started yet, as that always seemed to kill my motivation.

By making this small change, my reading speed increased significantly, and I’ve increased the number of self-help books I finish.

Silent Momentum

Since discovering this motivation hack, I’ve applied it across various areas of my life, including content creation. Streaming is no exception. In the post "Stream Success: Build Before You Announce Your Ideas,” we discussed how sharing your plans too early can backfire when you encounter unexpected challenges with an unproven strategy. We also highlighted how revealing your goals to others can trick your brain into feeling the same satisfaction as if you’ve already achieved them. But why does this happen? Why do we often lose momentum when we tell others about our goals too soon?

The best way to explain this phenomenon is that it’s all about perception. Humans are social creatures, and whether we admit it or not, we often measure ourselves based on how others perceive us. When we achieve our goals, it shapes how others see us. For instance, after consistently streaming and reaching 100 streams, we’re likely to be perceived as "streamers." But when we’re just starting and haven’t streamed yet, there’s a gap between where we want to be (a regular streamer) and where we are (someone who hasn’t streamed). This gap motivates us to keep working towards our goals.

However, there’s a shortcut to being perceived as a streamer without putting in the hard work, simply telling someone about your streaming plans. The more detailed and realistic your plans sound, the more likely others are to believe in your potential. In their eyes, you’re already a streamer, even if you haven’t streamed yet. But this early validation drains your motivation to follow through.

While I’ve used streaming as an example, this logic applies to anything. Do you know someone who frequently announces major changes to their content lineup or schedule, only to revise those plans a few weeks later? Does this sound familiar to you? With a bit of discipline, there’s an easy way to break this cycle.

You can adjust your approach once you understand that we often focus more on how others perceive us than on what we do. When starting a big project, whether streaming, changing your schedule, altering the games you play, or trying new content formats, begin without announcing it to anyone. This way, no one else can perceive it as a new part of your identity, and you won’t gain any premature validation. You’ll be forced to work towards your goals because there’s no external recognition to rely on. If someone asks on stream whether your new approach is here to stay, you can simply say you’re trying it out. Instead of committing to “This is now my new regular thing every Wednesday,” you can present it as a one-off experiment. Then, after consistently doing it, working out any issues, and deciding if you genuinely enjoy it, you can officially announce it as part of your routine. By then, you’ll already be well on your way like 50% through the book.

Final Thoughts

Whether I’m reading, streaming, or working on any other project, this strategy has been incredibly effective. It even turns the desire to share with others into a motivating factor. Knowing that I’ll eventually get to tell someone about a book I’m reading pushes me to invest more time in it upfront, so I can reach that 50% mark. Similarly, when I want to introduce a new show or recurring concept on my streams, I keep it under wraps and continue developing it quietly. This "carrot on a stick" approach has consistently given me a strong start toward any goal. In streaming, and in everything else I do, I’ve found that it’s always better to show before you tell.