backyard has been neglected for years, how do you even start planning what to do with it

we have a decent sized backyard that has basically been ignored since we moved in four years ago. every time we talk about doing something with it we cannot agree on direction and the conversation stalls

not sure whether to start with a landscape designer and then find a contractor or find someone who does both. also not sure how to get from a vague idea of what we want to an actual plan we can price and execute

how did people here get unstuck when they were in this position