Anxiety and Useless Prep

Unlike so many in the TTRPG space, I haven't been Gaming since I was ten or twelve. So I think I tend to overthink my prep. I started GMing while my spouse was overseas for work in part to get over some social anxiety and make sure I was having meaningful interactions with other people outside work. But I definitely spent more time setting up maps and monsters in Roll20 than I should have. I spent that time because I was stressing. Not because it was going to make a better game for my players. 

The more I do it, the more I discover that the most fun and liberating experiences are those that are improvised. You need less than you think to run a good session. I've found the best structure that helps me stay focused on trying to do effective prep is the Lazy GM prep process from Slyflourish. Mike Shea provides an outstanding and repeatable process that can help you assemble the material you need to run a game. I don't always go through the steps in order, but it provides a touch point and example of how you really can get effective session prep done in a half hour.

The bottom line is that our games are meant to bring us together and help us break out of our insecurities and have fun together. We should play with people that make us feel safe to do that and seek to be genuine and supportive of their ideas and goals as we play. The best stories are the ones we build together through imaginative and collaborative efforts. That's how we can overcome our own anxieties and fears to find fulfillment in our games.