Changing careers at 11 years into a job, is it realistic? - 5 months and counting

After 11 years as an IT help-desk technician I am thinking about moving into a different field. I do not usually post, so bear with me. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. How did you start?

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 5 months.