I just completed a difficult cybersecurity certification exam (OSCP) and if I had to summarize my learning path for that:

- Figure out a time where you want to become proficient in the skill by – something that balances between setting a fire under you while not being impossible to meet – then develop a weekly learning plan roughly based on that

- Learn a lot of things from many resources, instead of learning everything from a single resource. Cross-pollinate the ideas of several authors. I like to combine text books, audio books, hands-of practice with things like labs or side projects and just talking to others about what I'm learning

- Don't burn out and take a couple days off the learning path every once in a while