While I do make set up notes for myself the first time I prep a guide (with 8 kids it does save me time and help me remember what I did last time), and even share those notes in the HOD FB groups, the reality is that the guides themselves are the best thing to follow when setting up, especially the first time!
You can even do it before you have your own guide! All you need is the Introduction and Unit 1, which are both available as downloads from the website. I do concede, though, that it is nice to have the books on hand to really understand what is being asked in each box.
I read through the Introduction once all the way through. While I might jot some notes on this reading, my goal is to understand the guide as a whole and to understand where the work is, what the goals of each subject are, etc. I then read through the first unit, Day by Day, box by box.
Next, I start through the Introduction again and as I get to each subject and read what Carrie says about it, I also read through the boxes for that subject in first unit. This is when I decide how we're going to store our work for that subject (notebook, notebook paper or computer paper in a binder, on the HOD NBing pages, etc.), and make a note for myself what to gather/buy and how to set it up.
I have found that while someone else's notes might tell me what to get, how they choose to set things up may not work well for us. One example is that with multiple students (I've never had fewer than 4 using HOD guides), I do not want to spend my time and energy keeping track of multiple notebooks for each child (4 kids x 8 subjects = 32+ notebooks!!!). We would always be missing one or more of the books!
So our kids learn to keep everything in a binder, behind dividers color coded by subject.
When I've gone through the guide that way, have my notes, and have gathered the supplies we need (from around the house or from a store), then I put them all together, subject by subject, and label them.
IMO, while set-up notes can be helpful (especially subsequent times using a guide), the guide's Introduction is the best place for your main source of information.
Blessings,
I'm not sure why, but it is a thing. I am going to try and just relax and not get anxious about everything. I will take my time to read through the Introduction and first Unit like you said. I need to set it up the way it will work best for our family (and me 
).