You don’t need to love editing to succeed on YouTube. Here’s how to keep creating without losing your consistency.
For the last 12 years, I’ve been doing editing in one form or another. In fact, my entire YouTube channel is based around editing.
But here’s the thing: for the past 2-3 years, all I’ve been editing are YouTube videos. And somewhere along the way, the fun started to fade. It’s not something I look forward to anymore. It’s become more of a chore, something I have to do, no matter what.
What used to be a fun hobby or a passion project now feels more like a job. And when you’re forced to keep doing something again and again for a long time – even if you once loved it, it slowly starts to feel boring.
Some weeks, I genuinely don’t feel like editing at all. And in those moments, I often sit back and think: How did I go from loving editing to feeling like I don’t even want to touch it anymore? And if this continues, will I even be able to continue my YouTube journey?
But then, something really important hit me. You don’t have to love editing to be consistent on YouTube, and you don’t have to enjoy every single part of the process. You just need to find a way to keep moving forward.
There are so many things in life we don’t exactly love, but we still do them anyway. Like, seriously, do you get super excited every morning when you brush your teeth? Of course not. But you still do it every single day.
You do it because you know it’s important. You know it’s a part of your daily routine.
Editing is kind of the same thing. You don’t need to enjoy it every single time. You just have to do it – even when you don’t feel like it. And honestly, that mindset is what’s helping me move forward in my YouTube journey.
And let me tell you exactly what I did to make editing easier.
The first thing I did was stop over-editing my videos. By over-editing, I mean I removed the intro, simplified the animations, got rid of the background music, and made a bunch of other small changes.
By making these changes, I no longer feel like I have a huge mountain to climb. It just feels like a few small hills now, and small hills are much easier to walk up.
I also created a folder on my computer called “Editing Tools & Assets.” In this folder, I’ve saved all the tools, assets, plugins, and sound effects that I regularly use while editing my videos.
Most of these tools and assets are from Envato – it’s a website that gives me unlimited access to thousands of high-quality editing assets for just a small monthly fee.
Whenever I need a new editing asset, I simply go to Envato, download it, and save it in my Tools & Assets folder. Having everything in one place means I don’t have to waste hours searching all over the internet.
Honestly, if possible, I would recommend you get a subscription as well, because it can make your editing process a lot easier.
Now this next thing I’m about to share – maybe you haven’t experienced it yourself, but I have. And I’m pretty sure there are others out there like me who’ve gone through the same thing or are still going through it.
When I first started making talking head-style videos, it felt super weird to see and hear myself on screen. And because of that, editing became really difficult for me.
I used to think that I didn’t look good, my voice sounded weird, and my facial expressions were flat. Basically, I would overthink everything and end up wasting hours trying to fix things that honestly didn’t even matter.
After making like 15 or 20 videos, I finally realized that my viewers don’t see me the way I see myself. When we watch ourselves on screen, we notice every tiny detail about our face, our voice, and our body language. We analyze everything way too closely.
But viewers don’t focus on your on-screen appearance. They care about one thing – the knowledge, the information, or the value you’re giving them. Even if you don’t look your best, if your content is valuable, people will like you, and your channel will grow.
I also gave up on trying to make every video better than the last. That’s too much pressure. Now, I just focus on making each video clear and easy to watch.
Now you might be wondering that if editing has started to feel so difficult, then why don’t I just hire an editor? Well, yes, I do plan on hiring an editor eventually. But before that, I need to prove to myself that I can stay consistent.
I want to make sure I’m showing up regularly, doing the work, and building the habit – before I bring someone else into the process.
The point is that if I can’t edit one video per week, I won’t magically become consistent by hiring someone. I still have to come up with ideas, research, write scripts, and film the videos.
If you’re in the same boat, I’d suggest you do the same. First, build the habit.
Prove to yourself that you can stick to it, then think about outsourcing.
And no matter what kind of system you create or how many templates you use, there will be days when you just don’t feel like editing. It happens to me all the time, but you don’t have to feel 100% to get 1% done.
You don’t have to do everything in one day. Just take small steps, one at a time.
For example, I usually take 2 to 3 days to edit each of my videos. On Day 1, I just cut out all the mistakes and the long pauses. Then on Day 2 and Day 3, I add the animations, text, sound effects, and all the final touches.
That’s how consistency is built. And honestly, that’s how I’ve managed to keep showing up, even on days when I didn’t want to.
Also see: 8 Practical Ways To Balance Writing, Filming, and Editing
If you love editing, that’s amazing. But even if you don’t, that doesn’t mean you can’t be a consistent creator. You can still build a successful channel, you can still share valuable content, and you can still grow, help people, and create an impact.
Editing is just one part of the journey. You don’t have to be in love with it. You just need to learn how to work with it.
And if you can build a simple system that makes the process easier, I promise you, you’ll go much further than someone who’s just relying on passion. Because passion fades over time. But a good, reliable system? That stays with you every step of the way.