22yo male here. I want to be a video game designer. As a computer science minor, I've made a few game projects, and I'm working on a few more. I have been obsessed with this vocation for the last year or so. I want to build levels, to create systems, to write quests, to construct stories, to design worlds. I am happy to start at the bottom and slog through shitty jobs to reach my long-term goals, because I honestly, truly believe that this is what I was put on this Earth to do. That said I understand that the video game industry is dog-eat-dog and, while it is still growing, is still in a bit of a layoff frenzy.

Incidentally, my ecology degree is almost complete and I am currently working for a research group that studies plastic pollution. I find data science and environmental research really interesting, and I can see my current project being a stepping-off point into more research about environmental science/urban studies. I am far too stupid for graduate school but I won't deny that I find this field intriguing.

So here is my question: I have a stated goal of getting into the game industry, but I'm sober enough to realise that there's a chance I will fail. I should be focusing my efforts 100% on becoming a game designer? Should I be splitting myself 50/50 between the two options? Obviously I am doing my best at the job I have right now, but the question is how much of a tryhard I should try to be in a career field I would ultimately abandon in favour of game design given the chance.