I had four, count them four, false starts before this go for growth that will be 10 months in December. It really takes a few false starts I think to get some feeling for where you want to go with it. Now if you cleaned off the eyebrows for Halloween--that's an area I've never gone to.
Said it before, when you decide to go Sly, it's about 20 minutes, a beard, a real one--not just fashionable stubble--takes three months unless you have incredible density. Good luck on this new endeavor--keep a growth diary--same pose every week to two weeks. That can help you keep a realistic view of your progress.