So carving with a knife is called whittling. Real carving is done more with chisels and gauges than knives.
Where to begin? I saw it on Kohl, you started ambitiously with a figurine. You can learn a lot with that but I also see you actually carving since I see chisels there.
Whittling is a slow process and needs lots of patience. It's removing little material with little force. I think first I would try different cuts, shallow, deep, in different angles, on different materials, different type of woods. Would try to remove a lot with one cut, and a little with one.
Maybe I would make a proper stake/tent peg. That needs a few types of cuts, very simple and can be made from all kinds of woods. I dunno what's available to you. Try it on softer one, pines, hazels, then harder ones, ash, oak, fruit trees. And you will see all differs, and you will know what you want to practice on.
But your approach was ok, you'll learn if you whittle/carve, no matter what.