I started as a clerk, then became a DJ (detroit techno, yeah!), then I was selling custom software in a software house, then I became an account manager for a couple system integrators (ICT), then a manager of a data center department (sales too), then a global account manager working for a giant tech vendor (networking) where I was dealing with the biggest accounts and massive deals, and now I'm a software engineer (web dev) and an entrepreneur (I've had 3 other companies in the past, too, with 2 of them bankrupt). 2 next companies planned, but I don't have time to startup them! Ugh, meanwhile I learned 2 foreign languages, become a psychotherapist (a good one!), read over 1000 books, became proficient in trading stocks, and God knows what else... I don't even remember. Ough, I converted from an atheist to a more spiritually aware person due to my journey thru philosophy and metaphysics ;)

I'm 34. I started working when I was 19. I don't have what you people call a degree. Instead I've put all the money that I was about to put into a "degree" to fulfill my home library with a lot of good books. Now I have 1k+ of them. Best investment ever!

What do you think, that I'm some kind of genius? WTF, I'm just a regular dude who's incredibly bored with BS the world has been trying to sell me on every corner. I do what I want to do and what makes sense. Period.

Coming back to the topic:

1) You sit on your ass and you start. If you don't have a clear vision why you are doing a given thing (especially long, complex projects), no wonder that you don't know how to start. Try to visualize the positive outcomes from the enterprises you want to dive into. Make a mission statement. Then make a plan. At least a hypothesis and test it. Doesn't work? Click next and prepare another one. Repeat, until it's going to work. Keep track of your attempts.

2) The same as (1). If you haven't internalize why you're doing a given thing, you won't stick with it.

3) You don't "pivot". You just do stuff you consider to be worth doing. The method is the same as in (1). First a plan / hypothesis, then fire and eventually you are going to get there. Isn't that logical?

There's no need to be scared, dude. The whole universe is trying to help you. No one knows anything! We can only test what we think might be a good shot. I'm not sure if you realize how much one can accomplish in 10 years. You basically can completely change your life... Twice. People tend to overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate long periods of time like 10y.

The rest is just details.

I wish you luck!