Still waiting to give someone money that can really streamline the Emac learning process, having a series of daily exercises, etc. I don't want a tutorial mode -- I want something consistent supervised by Emac experts. A six-month program perhaps?
Don't make it seem harder than it is.
Basically I started out using emacs in a manner similar to Notepad- type stuff in, save it. Then as I went along, I have discovered that if I want it to do something to help me out, it's generally possible. Once I got to that mindset, I started thinking of new ways it could help me, and discovering new ways of making it do those things.
So far, so good.
Next, you have to realize that you don't get good at Emacs by taking some course or learning from some master. You have to discover things yourself through practice. If you want to use Emacs, start using Emacs. You will be an expert soon enough.