Mid-Year Check-In!
We are six freaking months into 2026! It feels like yesterday I was debating two things: 1) Going to keep this series going. 2) Whether I wanted to keep streaming. Yes, I debated walking away from both back in December, before we ushered in 2026. Burned out and doubting myself, which admittedly is my factory setting, I was close to pulling the plug. What kept me going was simpler than I expected: a handful of people watched my silly streams. I didn’t want to let them down. So I gave myself one more year to see what I could build, and here we are now… June, 2026!
Six months in, not much has really changed. I haven’t grown at a rate that I see others growing, but that’s okay. I’m a tad more consistent in terms of streaming, which is the real highlight for me. I’ve also completed games at a strong rate (10 so far) and expect to complete around another 10 before the end of the year.
I have no expectations of growth beyond my personal goal of consistency. For now, the schedule I follow works, with morning streams getting more viewers than evening. Though, I confess, I wish I had energy for morning streams. I’m always so gosh darn sleepy that after the first hour, I’m shuffling uncomfortably in my chair, fighting the urge to call it. My brain simply refuses to cooperate at night, lying awake when I should be banking sleep for an 8am stream. I end up yawning through games I’m genuinely enjoying, which I imagine looks a lot like boredom to anyone watching.
I do my best to stay energized, but it drains fast. Luckily, chat has a way of snapping me back. When someone talks or asks a question in chat, something clicks and I find myself pushing through to two hours or more. This isn’t always the case, of course, but the brief dopamine boost is awesome.
Outside of that, I don’t have much more of an update. Slow and steady, trying to build consistency over everything else. Once that’s locked in, I’ll find ways to grow… maybe… probably not. Not if it means using social media like X, TikTok, or Bluesky.
I’m staunchly anti-social media beyond Twitch and YouTube these days. Those other platforms would wreck my mental health. The drama and pressure to perform and be someone I’m not… I have no real desire to chase any of that, no matter how much growth it might bring. I’m 36, I don’t have time to change my entire personality in the hopes I get more views.
So, as the year goes on, my focus is simply on playing and beating games. If folks show up, great! I will happily chat with them (and you)!
Join me on my streaming journey with more Musings of a Stream. Or come learn about my life with Echoes of a Journey. And, if you’re really awesome, join me live on Twitch, Monday through Thursday starting at 8:00am and 6:00pm US central.