Hey Bix!
Great question and congratulations on your good fortune in life!
You have the right mindset my friend, and will do just fine in this game.
The most important thing is learning and practicing good habits while feeling engaged.
I think that a sweet spot for doing this in your shoes would be 0.50nl. The swings will not be crazy at $50 stacks, and your opponents will certainly be taking the game seriously which is the important thing.
As long as you are studying while playing you'll start to see when you are far and above the best player on the table, and when this happens you can move up to the next limit.
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As you find your game coming together, no, there is no need to progressively beat each limit. As long as you are in the top 50% of the players on the table (and ideally top 25% or 10%) you will have a positive expectation, and an enjoyable experience. This may allow you to move up quickly, the key is to be honest with yourself about your skill relattive to the rest of the table.
I also think of online mainly as a training ground, it's a great place to get lots of reps in and get your game solid. Once you have that you can easily go crush live games and play at 5-10x the limits you were playing online and still feel comfortable and confident.
If your financial situation is such that you are set for life, I wouldn't worry about the 'professional' part of poker, if I were in your shoes I would just look for games where I will enjoy myself, probably win more than I lose and get to satisfy my competitive outlet.
As long as you aren't putting yourself in a position to experience severe financial of emotional hardships you'll be fine. Playing reasonable stakes is how to cover the financial risk, and studying consistently so you feel confident is the way to cover the emotional.
I think with the right intention you'll be just fine. Study up, go live your dream, and have fun on the tables. If you ever feel like you need more assistance feel free to reach out to book a one on one session. I love to help!