Progress is made by consistently working at a thing every day. If I were you, I would choose one topic (for example, a specific programming book) and keep trac

Progress is made by consistently working at a thing every day. If I were you, I would choose one topic (for example, a specific programming book) and keep track of what that one thing is that you make progress on every day. Have a good reason for choosing that book so that you can be motivated; remember why you started that book or whatever it is. If you try to learn other things besides that the rest of the day, and those things change with your mood, that's fine. Just have that one topic you're learning be something that you don't change, or at least change consciously when it's the right time (finished book, or your reason for starting it is no longer true). Spend at least 1 minute every day on that. (I mention only 1 minute because it builds the habit, and you'll usually end up doing more. But if you don't do at least 1 minute, you could go years without doing it, or not do it at all.) You might want to make that 1 thing something you do first thing in the morning, if you're a morning person. There is less chance that something will disrupt your routine that way. I should start following this advice myself.