Our answers to this question will probably vary a lot depending on what you want to get out of your historical studies. The body of historical knowledge that's available to us right now is so vast that even people who spend their entire lives working within the discipline can only command a relatively small fraction of its content. Every introductory approach that you take to world history is going to be cursory or limited in some way, and the limitations that make sense for you will vary a great deal based on what you're seeking. A few questions that might help you sort out what you're looking for:

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Are you more interested in being able to identify widely-recognized major historical figures and events or in understanding the large-scale processes that shape human history?

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Are you interested in the distant past because you're looking for the modern world's origins there, or are you more interested in how it was different from the world we live in?

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What aspects of the human experience excite you? Are you interested in war? Politics? Science and technology? Economics? Gender roles? Culture? Religion? Philosophy? Art?

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Are you thinking about eventually using history professionally?

So one option is to just begin with eras, events or civilizations that interest you.

I however really found following at least a superficial chronological order.

I would probably start with the Egyptians. Then the Greeks Then the Romans. Afterwards if you want more context you can backtrack to all the Mesopotamian and Anatolian cultures and learn about the bronze age collapse.

I really struggled with medieval history as its focus is very much "all Jesus all the time" and there's a whole heap of little kingdoms fighting each other. Looking at Charlemagne would be a good starting point. Then the crusades can be both interesting and hilarious (seriously the peasants and children's crusades were mental). From there.. VIKINGS! who are super interesting to learn about.

Next I would consider renaissance Italy. The reformation and its related wars. English civil war. Discovery of the new world and the European imperial boom. Settlement of the US. The Enlightenment.

And it goes on and on into the modern era.

But each of these sort of influences the next and will help you build a coherent picture.

This list is SUPER Eurocentric so something you might also want to look into is the history of China, India and Japan. I really struggled keeping the Chinese names clear but it's really interesting.

Once you get to around 1700 You might also want to mix in some history of science, medicine, philosophy, religion and political theory.

It can totally seem overwhelming but just pace yourself, and if you find some period or culture boring don't worry about skipping on to someone else more interesting. History can give you a fantastic insight into how humans and ideas interact.. quite often in some of the most hilarious and ludicrous ways.

Enjoy