The more I program and do things, the more I realise how little people actually know. They just do, and hope it turns out okay. And that is awesome. I want more people to realise that. Just program and push stuff out. You will learn so much.
I truly think this is the best possible approach: there is clearly a fine line between being a dedicated follower and being a dedicated participant of something. Not that there's anything wrong with the former, but if your goal is become an active participant, you have to engage in what ever it is you're seeking.
Everyday I make sure I spend as much time as I can working on what ever goals I've set out for myself. It's not always consistent. Some days are very unproductive. But overall it's been effective.
The recent Ludum Dare competition has inspired me, though. Especially Notch's incredible entry and live broadcast of his programming.
So the first thing I set out to do was to practice. And by practice, I mean write games. My plan:
Write games. Lots of them. Every week until the next Ludum Dare.
It's the best way to improve.