I'm in a similar situation right now. 22 and just finished college and I want to hone my programming skills for the next 10 years. May I ask how did you get in

I'm in a similar situation right now. 22 and just finished college and I want to hone my programming skills for the next 10 years. May I ask how did you get into the position you are in today? How much time did you spend programming a day? What was you approach (work through a book, or pick a project and execute in language x)? Did you have a side job while you were teach yourself programming? Your response will be much appreciated.