There are two lessons to know before you homestead.
The first is to start where you are. We all have big dreams of acreage, chickens, and big gardens...but we neglect to see that we can build skills right where we are that will benefit us when we make the transition to a larger homestead. The act of sowing a seed into the earth is the same in a container on an apartment balcony as it is in a field in northern Maine. The intention and act, with proper care, will produce a crop.
The second lesson is start with what you have. Too often I've seen homesteaders fall into the FOMO (fear of missing out) trap. They see the homestead Youtubers and think they need the barn, tractor, and cow to be a homesteader. Nothing could be further from the truth! To quote the chicken-ninja-master Justin Rhodes, "Just grow something." Start within your budget, start with what you have around you, and build the skills that will bring you success on the homestead.
Shake off those expectations of what a homesteader "should" look like. We are not a one-size-fits-all group. Instead, we all have varying approaches to solving the problems we face each day. Homesteading is a lifestyle that can be started anywhere, at any time, within any means.
Take a look in the mirror. You look like a homesteader to me.