So what does it take to escape the Matrix? I am not offering you a step-by-step guide, as that would be incompatible with freeing your mind; Instead, I provide you with major pillars you can build upon.
Please be aware that your mind is not free; it is captivated by the Matrix. The Matrix is built on values and beliefs that you are exposed to every day; it started with the very beginning of your existence.
That is not a hostile act per se: Without passing on cultural knowledge and embedding humans into societies, each of us would start from zero right after birth.
Nevertheless, if that setting remains unreflected and does not resonate with your personality and your dreams, then you will feel stuck.
For me, it was the feeling that something was wrong that I could not articulate; That I was at the wrong place, not doing the right thing, that I did not live up to my potential.
In that case, you need to learn about the Matrix that holds you captivated and find ways to exit it or at least alter it.
Leaving the Matrix is your personal choice. You can't build on anyone else joining you. You should not wait if you want to. You also should not seek confirmation or permission: Both would mean asking for grants from a system you intend to leave; it would not make any sense.
Furthermore, likely, others would even hinder you or at least put obstacles in your way.
Or metaphorically spoken: You are an ant, leaving the anthill. Don't expect support from other ants. Don't wait for others to join your efforts.
Also, from an ethical point of view, you go first: You don't know how it will work out, so don't push others to join you.
You go first. If you succeed, others might follow and ask for your advice.
On the other hand, if you know someone who successfully left the Matrix (whatever that means to you), don't be shy to ask for advice. However, don't expect to get advice for free; compensation is the norm.
In any case: If you choose a guide, pick someone who successfully has left the Matrix - and not someone who intends to do so, selling his ideas as a blueprint, leaving it to others to verify it, at their own risk.
The Matrix is a ruling system controlling your thoughts, feelings, and actions. The primary prerequisite that is needed to rule people is fear. Without fear, people won't obey.
Fear is multi-facetted: In its core, it is the fear to die -- and conditions that could lead there, such as severe injury, social isolation, and any form of scarcity.
The Matrix utilizes that by inducing fears and by controlling resources.
Basically, those processed are mediated by values and beliefs. Simply put, your values determine what you strive for in life, while your beliefs determine how you get there.
Consequently, you need to reflect on your value system: You should be crystal clear about what you strive for in life.
Values are your guiding system that impacts everything you think, feel or do -- even on a subconscious level.
Similar thoughts apply to your belief system: Your beliefs govern how you realize the values you strive for. Some people use career hacks while others wait for invitations, ask for permission, and seek reassurance.
You should learn about your beliefs and adapt them to your advantage.
You can't rely on society when detaching from the Matrix: Otherwise, you would ask people linked to the Matrix and maintain that state for advice on how to do otherwise.
Society might somewhat hinder you from your quest.
Should you defeat society? Or try to win them for your endeavor? Both are dysfunctional; the most straightforward way is to simply ignore them.
If one of them messes with you, smile and walk away.
Escaping the Matrix means liberating yourself from society; thus, no interaction is beneficial, including debates.
In the movie itself, "the Red Pills" meet in Zion, an underground city. In (our) reality, there is no Zion -- at least not the one Zion.
Once you escape the Matrix, you are on your own. You need to create your personal reality.
Per design, no one will impose any belief systems on you. Contrary, you are now on your own.
Nevertheless, sometimes people find that the realities they create match those of other ones. That is their personal Zion, then.
Sounds confusing? It is. I will devote a particular post to that. So, please, stay tuned.