Ha.. The same happened to me.
It was the trying to study deep learning what made me double check with myself the learning process was wrong, and in the meantime, the way I have learned Android by doing an important project for the sake of dreaming to have this kind of app, gave me this awakening reality check, that indeed the way you are proposing here is the correct method to learn about anything.
Sadly I wasted 1-2 years in deep learning in the wrong way, but as you said, I needed it to realize what I've understood now on how to learn efficiently.
Learning how to learn is extremely important, and sadly, and no way you or anybody else could convince me without trying out myself and failing.
This is the bitter truth. I hope that your readers will be wiser than me and convinced by your clear message that is backed up by a lot of examples.
