I also get a lot of value out of watching tutorials for an app that I'm interested in before going to bed. One or two videos a night and you can quickly get a sense for how an app works before you ever open it. That way you're not devoting your every waking hour trying to figure out how to do things ... you come in with an…
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…