Hey everyone — throwing this out to the internet because I need to know I’m not the only one.

I’ve been studying hacking/infosec for a while now and I’ve got the basics down (networks, Linux, some scripting, and a few TryHackMe boxes). On paper I should feel confident, but the truth is I’m constantly overwhelmed. There’s so much: tools, methodologies, CVEs, exploit dev, web, pwn, reversing, CTFs, defensive side, threat intel... every time I pick a path I end up staring at a giant list of things I "should" learn and freeze.

If you’ve been here before, I’d love to hear:

• How did you decide a learning path (web, infra, reversing, etc.) and stick to it?

• Any practical ways to structure learning so I don’t feel like I need to know everything at once?

• Small wins or habits that helped you build momentum without burning out?

I really like this field but at some point everything seems to be overwhelming