Once I started treating "learning X" with the following mentality, I had the best results:
Have a project. Want to learn some photoshop, find a picture/logo/whatever that you want to emulate. Or whatever you want to create, think of what techniques are involved and learn those. Don't try and learn 3D text if you're thinking of creating a logo with a gradient. Google "photoshop gradients", and make sure it's from a credible source (such as psdtuts).
I find if I'm only learning what I want to learn, I don't get bored, so I stay motivated to learn, and simply exploring a tool/language/et al, I will become curious and branch out from what I was originally planning to learn, and thus learn new things organically, rather than forced. So for example, if I'm creating a Web 2.0 and I start using Inner glow, that might entice me to learn about drop shadows, and how the overlay tool works and what the difference is between "Multiply" and "Darker". Give it a shot and see if that gives you some direction.
Have a project. Want to learn some photoshop, find a picture/logo/whatever that you want to emulate. Or whatever you want to create, think of what techniques are involved and learn those. Don't try and learn 3D text if you're thinking of creating a logo with a gradient. Google "photoshop gradients", and make sure it's from a credible source (such as psdtuts).
I find if I'm only learning what I want to learn, I don't get bored, so I stay motivated to learn, and simply exploring a tool/language/et al, I will become curious and branch out from what I was originally planning to learn, and thus learn new things organically, rather than forced. So for example, if I'm creating a Web 2.0 and I start using Inner glow, that might entice me to learn about drop shadows, and how the overlay tool works and what the difference is between "Multiply" and "Darker". Give it a shot and see if that gives you some direction.