I'd say its important to explore new software, but don't explore to the point where it stops you from actually creating anything. The best way to learn other than watching and following tutorials in my opinion, is to just jump in and attempt a project. If you're unsure about a modeling package for example, grab the demo…
And that is what I have been doing so far :) But take MODO for example. I have used maya and max for years. If I should be able to judge if MODO would be worth "converting" to, it would take me at least a month, as I have never opened it before, and dont know a single thing about the program. So I would spend a month…