• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 11:38
CEST 17:38
KST 00:38
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL22] Ro4 Preview: Mirror Mirror4[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: Within Reach5[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: In A Tizzy11[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver5[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Rough Waters10
Community News
5.0.17 Patch Notes - October 7, 20266Weekly Cups Results (Sep 28-Oct 4)0SC4ALL: II SC2 Complete Invited Player Lineup10StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026)78Weekly Cups (Sept 21-27): herO and ByuN double2
StarCraft 2
General
5.0.17 Patch Notes - October 7, 2026 StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026) How do you feel about the mass reverts in the 5.0.17 PTR? [Old] StarCraft 3 Reportedly in Development Weekly Cups Results (Sep 28-Oct 4)
Tourneys
ISSL (IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League): Premier Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20) Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament 2026 GSTL Grand Finals Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond)
Strategy
[H] ZvP Mid-Late Game: Stalkers Collossi HT
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Sweltering Sands [M] (2) Frigid Storage
External Content
Mutation # 546 Catch the Train The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 545 And Drops and Rifts Mutation # 544 Double Trouble
Brood War
General
BW General Discussion GG Lan Fest Sofia, Bulgaria [this November] Fantasy returning? Sagi.gg Launcher Released BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/
Tourneys
[ASL22] Semifinal A [ASL22] Semifinal B [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL22] Ro8 Day 4
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Cliff Jump Revisited (1 in a 1000 strategy) Replay Review Process - What do you do?
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread General RTS Discussion Thread Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Total Annihilation Zero
Dota 2
Dota 2 Champions League Season 3 Begins April 25! Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
Artificial Intelligence Thread US Politics Mega-thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread
Fan Clubs
Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Movie Discussion! Diablo Animated Series on Netflix
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts
Blogs
Biografia
Playlenda
[ASL22] Ro4 Day1 Ticket Giv…
bITt.mAN
Escaping Into Video Games: G…
TrAiDoS
38 yo Retired SWE loo…
PurE)Rabbit-SF
Can Bots Beat Pros?? Starcr…
namkraft
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 10099 users

Motivation in SC2

Blogs > Fencar
Post a Reply
Fencar
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
United States2694 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-12-24 23:43:27
December 24 2012 18:40 GMT
#1
Edit: Read all of my posts in the thread before replying, please.

So, I have a lot of trouble motivating myself. I don't mean to start laddering like most people- I mean after a long game or series of short games which I lost. I start making the same mistakes over and over and over, and can't get out of it for the life of me. This restricts my ladder sessions to about 2-3 games on average.

How do you get out of this downward spiral? I've heard that you have to take a break- for me that break usually entails the rest of the day, or at least a couple of hours.

Edit: This is not about ladder points. This is about me losing, and being down after a loss. Ladder points, rank, league, have nothing to do with it.

*
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
lubu42
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States314 Posts
December 24 2012 18:57 GMT
#2
Laddering is simple when you don't let rank effect how you play. When HotS comes out I know a lot of people will find themselves being able to ladder a lot easier and get more practice in than they ever did in WoL I used to have a lot of ladder anxiety and would find myself making a lot of mistakes after a grueling loss. I would just take a break and play something else (it's seriously the only thing i've ever done). I know i'm going to lose some games but in reality all i can do is look back on it and analyze why I lost it. Once you start to do that then you stop making the same mistakes every game and find yourself without ladder anxiety or problems with playing!

Get out there and do some laddering, you will only get better with each game!
SlayerS_BoxeR <3
virpi
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Germany3599 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-12-24 19:58:16
December 24 2012 19:58 GMT
#3
don't play to win, play to improve. focus on something special and try to improve that part of your game. (i.e. not getting supply blocked, keeping mins low, scouting well, etc.) try to stop caring about your win percentage. if you win, it's fine, if you lose...well, it's fine too! you'll never lose more than approximately 50% of your games, unless you're one of the worst players out there. I overcame my personal ladder anxiety with this strategy. (A few days ago, I was on a 7 game loss streak, and ofc I was a bit pissed. I decided to pull off a proxy hatch in the 8th game of that session, and it worked. The seven losses were forgotten and I was able to finish my session with a smile on my face.)

And try to be realistic on yourself. Watch your replays. Be honest about your own mistakes.
first we make expand, then we defense it.
[UoN]Sentinel
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
United States11320 Posts
December 24 2012 20:15 GMT
#4
Don't ladder. Go find some obs games or start your own. You'll be able to play without any threat of losing points, even though you won't win any either. Work out things. In peepmode sometimes I'll get a few players courteous enough to help me with certain gameplay styles or matchups.

When you feel confident again, try out a few ladder games.
Нас зовет дух отцов, память старых бойцов, дух Москвы и твердыня Полтавы
Fencar
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
United States2694 Posts
December 24 2012 20:30 GMT
#5
OK, I think I was unclear.

Watching my own games in replays just makes me angry at myself. Especially the bad ones. I know that I make around 9,001 mistakes each game, that isn't the issue.
Ladder points aren't the issue either.

It's more that when I lose, I get angry at myself, and 'deflate' for lack of a better word.

I will focus on improving one thing at a time, thanks for that tip guys.
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Cortza
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
South Africa328 Posts
December 24 2012 20:38 GMT
#6
Don't beat yourself up bro. Laddering aint easy. It may be rewarding, but it is also a slog. Give yourself time to get into it.
Apsilon
Profile Joined August 2012
Germany7 Posts
December 24 2012 20:53 GMT
#7
just think "infestor op" and start the next game
E.L.V.I.S
Profile Joined April 2011
Belgium458 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-12-24 21:19:53
December 24 2012 21:18 GMT
#8
Just accept that you are a super bad player and that you lack skill. To solve this issue, it is very simple : you need to practice a lot and analyze your games. If you lose, it is only because you didn't practice enough.

edit : no offense meant, that just works for me .. so .. why not for you.
http://twitch.tv/maggrig | @SC2ELVIS | http://www.facebook.com/sc2ELVIS
Birdie
Profile Blog Joined August 2007
New Zealand4438 Posts
December 24 2012 21:38 GMT
#9
This sounds like it's not a SC2 issue, it's a personal issue which could easily apply to other things in life. You're too emotionally invested in it if you get angry at your mistakes in it. Detach yourself more from it when laddering and practicing. I don't have any better advice because a lot depends on your religious beliefs in life or the lack thereof as to what kind of advice I can give you for controlling your temper, but you shouldn't be getting angry at your lack of ability at a game, in my humble opinion.
Red classic | A butterfly dreamed he was Zhuangzi | 4.5k, heading to 5k as support!
boomudead1
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States186 Posts
December 24 2012 21:44 GMT
#10
dont get mad at urself. know that u learn from those mistakes. even if u make the same mistake. dont get mad at urself. starcraft is a hard game. just know that u get better everytime. and try not to make the same mistakes. sc2 is a training. u train yourself to not to hate urself even if u make mistakes. dont take it so hard. ur constantly improving after each game anyway.
Fencar
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
United States2694 Posts
December 24 2012 23:40 GMT
#11
On December 25 2012 06:38 Birdie wrote:
This sounds like it's not a SC2 issue, it's a personal issue which could easily apply to other things in life. You're too emotionally invested in it if you get angry at your mistakes in it. Detach yourself more from it when laddering and practicing. I don't have any better advice because a lot depends on your religious beliefs in life or the lack thereof as to what kind of advice I can give you for controlling your temper, but you shouldn't be getting angry at your lack of ability at a game, in my humble opinion.

I think you're right.

Any advice on how to 'detach' myself?
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
ktimekiller
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States690 Posts
December 25 2012 00:01 GMT
#12
Play so many games that a single game simply does not matter
Dodgin
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
Canada39254 Posts
December 25 2012 00:12 GMT
#13
I hear people say this a lot, I'm actually the opposite way when it comes to motivation. The more I lose the more it makes me want to queue up for another game, if I win a few in a row I become satisfied with my performance and stop for the day.

I think you should think of it like this, never go into a ladder session with the goal of trying to win a certain number of games or keep a % of wins, go into it wanting to have fun. Lose as many times as you want, as long as you're having fun that's all that matters. You're not a professional gamer, games are meant to be fun right? Motivate yourself with goals that don't have to do with wins or losses like trying out a new build or strategy. It's normal to be frustrated after a stupid loss, accept the anger and use it to motivate you to want to do better in the next game. Just don't take it super seriously, that's the wrong way to go about things.

Also, if you have HOTS beta, just play that instead of WOL. I find it a lot more fun, I don't even play WOL anymore personally.
Birdie
Profile Blog Joined August 2007
New Zealand4438 Posts
December 25 2012 04:48 GMT
#14
On December 25 2012 08:40 Fencar wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 25 2012 06:38 Birdie wrote:
This sounds like it's not a SC2 issue, it's a personal issue which could easily apply to other things in life. You're too emotionally invested in it if you get angry at your mistakes in it. Detach yourself more from it when laddering and practicing. I don't have any better advice because a lot depends on your religious beliefs in life or the lack thereof as to what kind of advice I can give you for controlling your temper, but you shouldn't be getting angry at your lack of ability at a game, in my humble opinion.

I think you're right.

Any advice on how to 'detach' myself?

Well, why do you get emotionally invested in it? I treat practice and laddering the way I do exercise, and tournament games the way I do a soccer match. So I get emotionally pumped for tournament games, but when I'm practicing I expect to fail and look forward to it so I can learn.
Red classic | A butterfly dreamed he was Zhuangzi | 4.5k, heading to 5k as support!
9-BiT
Profile Blog Joined January 2012
United States1089 Posts
December 25 2012 05:22 GMT
#15
I know you likely hear this a lot, but I just view ladder the same way I view joining a clan or a channel to get practice games, I want to maximize the amount of games I can play, so I can do blank. Blank being your goal, be it clan wars, tournaments, or getting to masters. If you're goal is masters/gm it's harder, but I would suggest getting a smurf account to grind games, and your main account to level. Best of luck, and Merry Christmas
kwark_uk: @father_sc learn to play maybe?
Fencar
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
United States2694 Posts
December 25 2012 15:17 GMT
#16
On December 25 2012 13:48 Birdie wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 25 2012 08:40 Fencar wrote:
On December 25 2012 06:38 Birdie wrote:
This sounds like it's not a SC2 issue, it's a personal issue which could easily apply to other things in life. You're too emotionally invested in it if you get angry at your mistakes in it. Detach yourself more from it when laddering and practicing. I don't have any better advice because a lot depends on your religious beliefs in life or the lack thereof as to what kind of advice I can give you for controlling your temper, but you shouldn't be getting angry at your lack of ability at a game, in my humble opinion.

I think you're right.

Any advice on how to 'detach' myself?

Well, why do you get emotionally invested in it? I treat practice and laddering the way I do exercise, and tournament games the way I do a soccer match. So I get emotionally pumped for tournament games, but when I'm practicing I expect to fail and look forward to it so I can learn.

I don't know. I suppose I have high expectations of myself, so I try to do as well as the best I've done, and when that doesn't happen I get mad at myself and feel like I'm not getting anywhere.

I'll adopt your mindset and see how that goes.
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
OSC
22:00
King of the Hill #264
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
OGKoka 272
Codebar 45
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 39220
Calm 3790
Shuttle 1868
Bisu 1725
FanTaSy 1526
Mini 1202
Soma 691
Rush 575
EffOrt 507
Stork 342
[ Show more ]
Light 318
actioN 294
Snow 267
Hyuk 259
ZerO 219
firebathero 210
Dewaltoss 103
Zeus 78
Barracks 73
hero 72
Shinee 52
Killer 44
Sharp 39
Pusan 37
Hyun 36
ToSsGirL 32
Free 26
Bale 26
Shine 21
HiyA 18
Aegong 17
sorry 17
PianO 16
yabsab 14
zelot 14
Sacsri 9
Dota 2
Gorgc8035
Dendi939
League of Legends
KnowMe43
Counter-Strike
x6flipin368
Heroes of the Storm
crisheroes566
Other Games
singsing2447
hiko1594
B2W.Neo359
Beastyqt262
byalli262
Liquid`VortiX235
mouzStarbuck203
Livibee201
Hui .174
FrodaN70
RotterdaM64
Mew2King56
Trikslyr47
Rex25
ZerO(Twitch)17
Organizations
Other Games
BasetradeTV254
StarCraft: Brood War
lovetv 6
[ Show 12 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• StrangeGG 48
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV265
League of Legends
• Nemesis2275
Other Games
• Shiphtur625
Upcoming Events
OSC
6h 37m
Replay Cast
7h 22m
OSC
1d 7h
Big Brain Bouts
1d 18h
Rex vs INexorable
GgMaChine vs HeRoMaRinE
Reynor vs herO
AI Arena Tournament
2 days
BSL: Ladder Tournament
2 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
Patches Events
2 days
BSL Open Qualifier
3 days
BSL Open Qualifier
3 days
[ Show More ]
WardiTV Weekly
4 days
PiGosaur Cup
5 days
The PondCast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Copium Cup

Ongoing

ASL Season 22
Super Anchor Qualifying S3
Acropolis #5
Acropolis #5 - GSB
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual

Upcoming

Acropolis #5 - GSC
BSL Season 23
SC4ALL II: Brood War
BSL 23: Non-Korean Championship
HSC XXX
Stellar Fest 2: Lunar Cup
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
HCC Season 3
eXTREMESLAND 2026
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 6
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
IEM Beijing 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.