Learn about yourself - what motivates you, what are your limits etc. This way you'll know if some goals are realistic or just pipe dreams. To expand on that, l

Learn about yourself - what motivates you, what are your limits etc. This way you'll know if some goals are realistic or just pipe dreams. To expand on that, let's say that you want to become an uber-programmer, like John Carmack. In his own words (paraphrasing), "everyone can do it, all resources are available online, you just need sit and do it". While this is technically true, the reality is that he seems to be extremely gifted when it comes to sustaining focus when working on abstract/technical tasks (while your average developer starts checking out after 4-5 hours). If you're like that and read about people like him, the conclusion is that you're like a short person trying to compete in NBA - technically feasible, but the odds are against you.