Changing careers at 9 years into a job, is it realistic? - 6 months and counting

My layoff made me rethink whether to stay in my field. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. How did you start?

I took a small pay cut for a year, and it was worth it for the growth afterwards.

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 6 months.