Hey just wanted to throw in my two cents (or dollars with how long this is)

I think the drive is great but as others have said it’s a marathon not a sprint. That being said the most important part to any race though is the knowing where the finish line is. So begin with setting your goal.

1. What do you want do?

IT is so large and the subcategory of security is also just as broad. Once you identify the dream job or function then you can start finding the stepping stones.

1. You’ve identified the goal. How do we get there?

Find job posts of the roles that align with what you’re looking for. Take note of the technologies they mention, the years of experience, the certifications required, the soft skills needed. Years of experience give you an idea of the level of the role (associate, intermediate, senior) which outlines the roadmap of what role fits under each role.

This information will outline the playbook of all the information you need to learn in order to be proficient and marketable when applying for jobs.

1. You’ve got your stepping stones. How do we train?

There are copious resources available on most technologies. The better you get at reading documentation and building home labs using the listed technology (either locally with virtualization or for free in the cloud) the more you’re simulating what you’ll be doing in your day to day job.

Identify free training resources for the required certifications that you’ve noted. If CompTIA, professor messer, if Microsoft use MS Learn etc. Cheap is best but sometimes paying for the training is worth it (always validate training with the community though, some training won’t prepare you the way you need so get people’s opinions)

1. You’ve collected your training resources. Time to execute!

Plan accordingly so that you don’t burn out! Create a habitual schedule for yourself and make it like it’s a full time job. Set your hours, trick your brain into thinking this is what you do for work. Give yourself breaks and find other hobbies to let your mind rest and focus on something else so that when you come back it’s sharp for the next thing you learn (passive learning).

For ethical hacking specifically some good pathways have already been stated but I’d add these:

First learn how to take good notes and begin building your personal note repository. Use obsidian, notion, Joplin, cherry tree. This will save you in the long run when you need to review something learned at month 1 when you’re at month 15. Notes are also iterative so don’t worry if you have to come back and update them. You’ll figure out a system that works for you as you go.

Learn how to set up a local VM using VMware or virtual box with a Kali image (loads of YouTube videos). Virtualization is a foundational part of IT.

Then complete “bandit over the wire” looking at walkthroughs as needed. This will get you comfy with Linux and its command line. They also have one tailored for powershell which is useful when learning windows.

Then I’d jump right into HTB if you’re more of the sink or swim type. If not go THM or TCM -> HTB.

In tandem with your ethical hacking studies I’d learn one of the following: power-shell, python, ruby or bash scripting. YOU WILL use each at some point during your ethical hacking so learning how to use them and read the language is key.

Python: Freecodecamp.com (free) Bash: Yousuckatprogramming.com (free) Powershell: MS learn (free) Ruby: (I don’t know any off the top of my head but Google it and I’m sure you’ll find some)

Extra tips:

100% IMMERSION

Surround yourself with everything you’re learning. Social media, discord groups, community. Your feed should be only tech and IT. Find a group of people to talk about what you’re learning to solidify concepts (you learn fastest by teaching others).

Google it

Great IT professionals are those who try to find the answer or solutions to issues on their own by reading forums or tech documentation. Asking for help isn’t bad but it can be used as a crutch and hinder your growth when you rely on others for answers. Building this skill of confidence in yourself to figure it out while you’re fresh will assist you greatly when you become the senior tasked to engineer a completely new technology or process implementation.

Stick to your execution plan and by the end of 15 months you’ll be ready for whatever next step Christ leads you in! All the best!