I used to think all my random hobbies and side hustles meant I couldn’t focus.
- Sneaker flipping.
- Real estate.
- Gaming.
- Streaming.
- Affiliate marketing.
- Selling random stuff online.
- Obsessing over analytics for absolutely no reason.
At some point, I realized something:
None of it was wasted.
It all kind of accidentally trained me for what I’m doing now.
That realization helped me stop feeling so behind all the time.
Some links may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. But these are tools, gear, and platforms I actually use or trust.
I Thought Successful People Had One “Thing”
That’s probably the biggest mindset shift I’ve had this past year.
I used to think successful people:
- picked one thing
- mastered it immediately
- never got distracted
- had a perfect long-term plan
Meanwhile, I felt like I was constantly bouncing between interests.
But looking back now?
Every random thing taught me something useful.
Even the stuff that didn’t “work.”
Sneaker Flipping Taught Me Supply & Demand
I don’t even flip sneakers anymore.
But for a while, I was obsessed with:
- release calendars
- market prices
- limited drops
- resale trends
At the time, I just thought it was fun.
Now I realize I was learning:
- attention
- hype
- scarcity
- timing
- buying psychology
Basically marketing… without realizing it.
It also taught me a brutal lesson:
just because YOU like something doesn’t mean the market cares. Check out Why I Keep Showing Up (Even When Growth Seems Slow).
That lesson applies to content too.
Real Estate Taught Me How People Make Their Decisions
Real estate changed how I look at people completely.
You learn really quickly:
- Emotions drive decisions
- Trust matters more than information
- People want confidence
- Presentation changes everything
That translates directly into:
- content
- branding
- business
- affiliate marketing
- literally everything online
People don’t just buy products.
They buy:
- trust
- confidence
- familiarity
- clarity
That realization changed how I create content.
@channlerg I’m gonna binge the new season of Invincible on April 22 when the last episode airs. #invincible #invincibleseason4 #tomclancysthedivision2 #thedivision2 #livestream
Gaming Taught Me How to Grind Without Immediate Rewards
This one feels obvious now.
Gamers will:
- spend 100 hours unlocking something
- learn complicated systems
- optimize every detail
- fail repeatedly without quitting
…but then panic if a business doesn’t work in 6 months.
That makes no sense.
Gaming accidentally trains people for long-term progress better than almost anything else.
The problem is, most people never apply that mindset outside the game.
Streaming & Content Creation Taught Me That Nothing Is Ever “Done”
When I started building ChannlerG, I thought there would eventually be a finish line.
Like:
- The website would finally feel complete
- The setup would be perfect
- The streams would look polished
- The content would feel “ready”
That moment never comes.
There’s always:
- another improvement
- another blog
- another thumbnail
- another update
- another thing to learn
That used to overwhelm me.
Now I’m starting to understand why people say:
“You have to love the process.”
Because if you only love the outcome, you’ll burn yourself out waiting for an imaginary finish line that’ll never come.
@channlerg Take notes. This is how you play Arc Raiders. @Mellow Gaming with the clutch Wolfpack. #arcraiders #duos #friendly #tiktoklive #gamingontiktok
Affiliate Marketing Taught Me Patience
This one is still teaching me lessons daily.
Affiliate marketing looks easy online.
It’s not.
Most of it is:
- writing
- testing
- learning SEO
- improving old content
- waiting
- getting almost no results for a while
- continuing anyway
That’s the part nobody posts about.
The part that I truly believe the most growth actually happens.
Not during the wins.
During the stretches where you’re still showing up, even when nothing exciting is happening yet.
You need a reason to keep going or else you’ll quit. Here’s Why I’m Betting on Myself & My Family (Not a 9-5).
The Bigger Realization
I think a lot of people feel guilty for trying different things.
Especially online.
Like, if you don’t immediately become successful at one thing, you’re failing somehow.
That’s just negative thinking.
Every random obsession I’ve had ended up connecting together.
Gaming taught me systems.
Real estate taught me people.
Flipping taught me markets.
Streaming taught me consistency.
Content creation taught me patience.
Now all of it feeds into ChannlerG.
What I’d Tell Someone Starting Something Right Now
Stop waiting until your path makes perfect sense.
It probably won’t.
Most people build clarity AFTER they start moving.
Not before.
Try things.
Learn things.
Pivot when you need to.
Keep what works.
Drop what doesn’t.
That’s not failure.
That’s experience.
Final Thoughts
I used to think I needed to “find my thing.”
Now I think all the random things WERE the thing.
They were all preparing me for this in different ways.
I’m still figuring it out in real time.
But at least now I understand something I didn’t before:
There isn’t a finish line.
You just keep building.
You keep improving.
You keep adjusting.
And if something’s broken?
You fix it.
That’s all any of us are really doing anyway.