Has this happened to you?
You go live on your Twitch channel…
…and no one shows up, and you start feeling like a loser.
You lose the excitement and energy you had before you went live and you don’t understand what you’re doing wrong.
You see everyone else having success, but you aren’t seeing the results and you don’t see the value in “wasting anymore time”.
It all starts with having the right Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) and in today’s article we will discuss the importance of this in accomplishing your streaming goals.
Step Stone Theory Through A Positive Mental Attitude
In W. Clement Stone book “Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude” he discusses the importance of the “Step Stone Theory” in obtaining goals.
In fact, he mentions that part of succeeding with any goal is by using the Step Stone Theory to get through the tough times.
We all have grand visions of becoming a famous YouTuber or Twitch Streamer and its fun to imagine these scenarios. Unfortunately we overlook what it actually takes to get to the point where you can reap the benefits of being a popular gamer online.
It takes time, it takes effort and it takes patience to push through tiresome and dull work in the beginning.
The hard part is pushing through the beginning phase. It’s when no one is watching and no one cares about the work you’re doing and it feels like you’re literally just wasting your time.
Rest assured there is a way for you to push through this time and to better prepare yourself for when you approach your goals.
You do it through the Stepping Stone Theory…
1. Identify Your End Goal
This is the first step in the process and the importance of it is immense. If you don’t have a end goal you can’t attach meaning to the work you’re doing in the moment.
To motivate yourself “when no one is watching” you need to have a clearly defined end goal so that while you’re working in the present you can remind yourself why you’re doing the work you’re doing.
Because it’s literally really weird to talk to your computer when no one is watching, but you know whats not weird? When you have done that for 3 months straight and you learn how to “perform” on stream during the process.
Rather than feel bad for yourself know that the work you’re doing right now, whether the results are coming in or not, will put you in a better position in the future.
Poor Performing Streamers Think Like This: “No one watches, no one cares and I’m not good enough. I’m just going to quit”.
Top Performing Streamers Think Like This: “I know no one is watching, but each day this week I will work on different chat topics to discuss. I will pretend like I’m hosting my own radio show and inform the viewers.”
The difference in this approach will be what separates you from failure and success.
Every single task that you do is an opportunity to grow and improve on your road towards your end goal.
Don’t every forget that. Believe in that from your core.
2. See Beyond Routine
Something we tend to forget is that real work is involved. Just because you’re playing video games doesn’t mean that “boring” work doesn’t exist.
Every time you go live there is a process you must follow in order to get the stream up and become available to your community. This is often the not fun or “I will do that later” part.
It is also one of the most important parts. Small things like joining in on other streamers chats is part of the process in building your channel.
So, why do we look beyond it?
Because from the outside looking in all we see is the “glitz & glam” of being a online gamer.
We think…
- they just play games all day
- it’s easy
- they always have had people watching
- they already knew how to edit videos
- they have the best software and overlay graphics
Do this instead…
Look at the daily routines that you might find tiresome and redirect that negative energy towards your end goal. How will the work you’re doing right now help you in the future.
If you learn to edit videos now, think about what that will mean when you reach your end goal. How will it help?
When I first started out in the video game world I didn’t know how to do anything with computers. Literally nothing. But now I know how to use Final Cut Pro, Excel PowerPoint, Edit videos, I created this website, Email Marketing Campaigns, YouTube & Social Media Marketing. The list could literally go on and on.
When you look at your present moment as an opportunity for growth in the future you will be amazed at what you will learn and you will be better for it in the future.
3. DO IT NOW!
One last takeaway is for those times when you feel like you can’t push forward anymore. All you have to do to follow through is say the following phrase out loud…
DO IT NOW!
Every time you say this phrase follow through with your intentions.
Don’t feel like streaming tonight? DO IT NOW
Don’t feel like moderating another streamers chat? DO IT NOW
The goal here is positive reinforcement on accomplishing your goals. Use this sparingly and only use it when you intend on following through with your statement.
This is your last line of defense against procrastination and when used properly you will push through when you need it most.
Do This Now
Respond back to this post with the most “tiresome” part of streaming for you. Share in the comments below.
First off I just want to say that this was a great push, and reminder for me.
My older brother is a bigger streamer and I helped him get to where he is. When I saw that he blew up over night I decided to finally start streaming on twitch myself. Once I got started I soon realized that I wasn’t blowing up like he did, though I felt I had put in as much work and my stream setup was equal or greater than his. That led me to a bit of depression but I still haven’t stopped. It’s been about two weeks and I get about one or 2 genuine viewers a day and a few of my friends on top of that.
So that’s my story, and I really needed this article to help me keep going. So thank you!
[spoiler] The most tiring part for me (long story short) is the competition factor. I’ve decided I’ll push through it and imagine I’m the only streamer on twitch.
Mugen,
Keep pushing forward and keep looking to improve your stream each time you go live. How can you improve the lives of the people watching? Answer that and they will keep coming back!