I set aside an hour a day (on average) to "do stuff" that is of direct relevance to a project I want to complete. If I'm learning a new language, I have a small project to perform a small but non-trivial task. Then I make sure I spend about an hour a day on that.
Same goes for my reading. I allow 30 minutes a day specifically for reading about new stuff. That's usually last thing at night, plus a 5 minute mental review as I have my shower in the morning.
It's the consistency that counts. Small amounts of time consistently invested grow over time.
I should try that. I tend to be single-minded, so if I have to review a book thats all I do, and hence loose traction on anything else that I have on the plate (this usually does not include non-tech reads/learning, but I have found that when learning a new language/technology/framework I need more focus). But I think keeping a small achievable task everyday should keep me from losing ground when learning something new.
Same goes for my reading. I allow 30 minutes a day specifically for reading about new stuff. That's usually last thing at night, plus a 5 minute mental review as I have my shower in the morning.
It's the consistency that counts. Small amounts of time consistently invested grow over time.