If you’re taking your stream seriously and treating it like a business you should have a whole host of longer term plans that are waiting for your attention. How do you decide what you should work on next for your stream? Step one is the Getting Things Done system.
Luckily, the problem you’re facing is the same problem every small business owner faces. Trust me, it’s good not to be a trailblazer when it comes to problems. Let’s look at some of the best resources for helping you decide what to do next and how to effectively complete it.
Getting Things Done
My first suggestion is check out the book Getting Things Done by David Allen. We covered it in our best books for streamers article because it’s amazing. This is one of the most well-known productivity books ever written. It’s well-known for good reason. In fact, my first employer out of college provided a copy for each incoming employee and made sure we read it. Buy it, trust me. We’ll go into some of the basic steps.
Brain download
First, write down (yes, write) everything that you have as a task. Don’t half ass this; it should be a big list. I could imagine your list might include things for your stream like scheduling a charity stream, working on a collaboration with another broadcaster, getting an emote finalized, or reaching out to a sponsor.
That is not the end of your list. Your stream is only one part of your life but your goal is to download all of the tasks you’re responsible for. That could mean housework, maintaining relationships, family, you time, education, an employer, or keeping a pet alive. Seriously, write down everything you’re responsible for. It’s going to be a huge list.
Finally, if it’s not a huge list run it by others who have some say in your life. I can guarantee you that if I made a list and ran it past my wife she could double what’s on there. Not only because there’s always more housework to do but because she knows me well.
Make it into projects
Ok, now that you have all of your tasks written out it’s time to group them in to projects. We’ve done a bit of that activity when trying to find tasks since we naturally group things. Your projects could be work, fun, family, friends, exercise, learning, business, etc.
The key here though is to go narrower. It’s not just “my stream” it’s get a new emote up on stream or plan and execute a subathon. Heck, it could even be things like make sure your tax situation is organized.
Similarly, you might have an overall project that is “relationships” but you can go narrower. Consider your significant other, your family, your friends, perhaps acquaintances who make a big impact on your life like a landlord.
The more specific you can make a task to a project the better.
Rank projects
I’d highly recommend first reading our articles on gauging opportunity and risk. Those will go a long way to helping you decide which projects make sense to tackle and which you can let pass by.
Your next step is to rank your project by importance and time sensitivity. There are two main reasons for this. The first is that it helps you decide what to work on next. Your most important and time sensitive project should get the bulk of your attention. You will get more done in a shorter time by applying specific focus.
The second reason is that you can find some relief when putting projects as a lower priority. I certainly find this. Essentially, you’re giving yourself permission to ignore lower tier projects because you’re focused on something more important. That can free up a lot of mental bandwidth.
Making it easier
This is a quick tip that applies to anything in business. As you rank your project and start in on the next one, make sure to take some time to look for opportunities to make it easier. This could be commissioning an emote instead of making it yourself, hiring someone to help with taxes, or bringing in a collaborator.
Your business is a separate entity from you and it is a needy entity. Don’t let it consume you because you feel like you need to do everything on your own. If it seems like you’re overwhelmed go find someone to help!
Conclusion
First, learn and love the Getting Things Done systems. Your life will be easier, you will get more done, and you stress less. We live in a world with constant demands and you’re only adding to it by running a business. Make sure you take the time to follow your steps so your life is easier. After all, an hour sharpening and axe can reduce the amount of time it takes to fell a tree by many hours.
Remember, you don’t have to figure this out alone. This is what we do- help streamers make great money decisions. If that’s something that sounds interesting to you reach out me or schedule some time for a free consult. You can check out what I do here.
