Experienced SEO Professionals: How long does it take to get my site off the ground from 0 to 1?

Some background: I decided I'm gonna try to grok SEO and I have very little idea what I'm doing, but I'm quick to pick up a craft and eager to hit the ground running. I recently set up my first site map and submitted my site to Google. How long should I expect time-wise to get this thing off the ground legitimately? I'm not in a hurry just want to know what to expect and how to manage my time effectively.