What in IT interests you? Examples might include "system administration"; "penetration testing"; "backend software development"; "machine learning" and so on.

What in IT interests you? Examples might include "system administration"; "penetration testing"; "backend software development"; "machine learning" and so on. If it's hard to answer that question, you might try going through your HN history to re-read the stories you upvoted. What stands out as a common thread? I'd do this before trying to learn anything specific. Without a clear goal, you can send yourself on a 1.5 year rabbit hole with nothing to show for it in the end.