You might be the killer of your own biggest dreams. Here’s why…

You might be the killer of your own dreams.

I mean it, if you think about it, your own self-perception is tainted.

And if you’re sitting there comparing yourself to other developers, well… that can get depressing pretty quick.

Think about it.

Maybe you’ve covered your face with your hands after seeing what other developers have created and successfully launched.

Maybe you’ve asked yourself why they can create such immersive, compelling, eye-catching games…

And wondered if yours are up to par.

So you’ve started up your game, only to find that… it doesn’t draw you in. You! The developer!

And not just that: it doesn’t feel like it’s innovative enough. In fact, it’s pretty unoriginal.

You start thinking of the games that it reminds you of, and decide that yes, those games are far superior than yours is, and that you might as well just stop now.

Sound familiar?

I’ve been there too.

I recently took a look at what other developers are creating these days, and thought “there’s no way I can create something like that.”

Me, someone who’s been developing games for a while now.

It made me feel like an amateur!

So imagine someone who may just be starting. How awful. The standard is so high!

Maybe it’s no surprise, maybe you’ve done it before too, but after realizing how far the indie sector has come, I refused to work on my games for a solid week.

I put them up, and walked away.

There was no point, because anything I’d already been working so hard on, was pretty much a wash.

I told myself I wasn’t shaken up. That I simply felt tired from an extra difficult week at work.

That I had plenty of errands to get done, and things to do.

That the games would eventually get done, but not during my “breather” week.

You know, to just catch up on life, that’s all.

But see, near the end of that week, I realized something:

There’s a difference between modeling and comparing. Between being inspired, and being blatantly put-off.

In my case, I wasn’t inspired to create something of a certain caliber. I was put-off of development.

It seemed like everyone else was putting out these amazing, eye-catching, original games, and like mine just couldn’t measure up.

I couldn’t help but compare. The look, the feel, the immersion.

I wanted to keep playing their games, they seemed quite compelling…

But I didn’t even want to remember that mine existed.

These are called “insecurities” and they’re things that no one wants to admit they have.

As adults, we assume we need to be responsible, put together, respectable.

People who know how to handle every kind of situation in a delicate, intelligent manner.

There is no room for insecurity after the age of what? 19?

Well, I’m here to tell you that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, feels insecure about something, whether it’s their feet, their smile, their weight, or their skill level when it comes to developing video games.

You name it, there’s someone who feel insecure about it.

It doesn’t mean they aren’t put together. And it doesn’t mean that they are insecure people, filled with doubt and low-self esteem…

It means that even if you’re confident in yourself as a person, and confident in your skill level in other aspects of life, there will always be some weak points here and there.

Kind of like that boss you’re designing. Yes, the one with the full-body armor that’s a pain to fight.

Even that boss has a weak spot or two.

And when players manage to find those spots, the boss eventually goes down, doesn’t he?

So, remember, if you’re doubting yourself… you’re killing your own dreams, and you need to get over yourself.

You are that boss, and you are proud, rightfully so.

You’re accomplished what others could only hope to.

And now you just need to overcome those minimal hurdles.

It doesn’t mean you haven’t figured things out, it simply means you’re human.

And that maybe, just maybe, you should keep pushing forward.

You may be surprised at what you can create when you spend less time worrying, and more time doing.

…despite all the flaws that might be holding you back.

If you enjoyed reading this post, it’d be amazing if you could share this so that others can find it as well.

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About Daniel Doan

I’m a growth marketing consultant, the developer behind SanctuaryRPG & Overture, and the Co-Founder of Black Shell Media. Feel free to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram! If you’re looking for more essays on growth marketing, game development, and productivity, you can check out my blog.

I’m always looking for more opportunities to put my growth marketing skills to work, so feel free to drop me a line at daniel@blackshellmedia.com if you’re interested in working with me.