I was like this until very recently.
The was so much to gather that it was overwhelming and off putting.
Then I cane across this:
Which helped immensely. I started by noting what I needed to forge to get the results indicated, then over the course of a week or so I built up enough resources so I could craft enough of the forging mats. Didn’t put too much pressure on myself, just as and when I could.
Then following this guide I managed to successfully forge some pretty good tools. In the course of doing this, I understand a little more about the process and have now asked the process to suit myself.
So I would say if you want to do it, give it a go, and don’t be too out of by the mats.