If you want to learn something new, why not make it WordPress? It powers a huge chunk of the web, you’ll understand your own website better, you’ll be able to communicate with developers better, and you can make some money helping out others.
In addition, programming gives you insight into a certain way of thinking which can be helpful in other walks of life. The trick is to know what you need to learn and to go at it consistently – discipline is required.
This is a 12-month guide on what to focus on, one topic per month, one month at a time. So by the end of the year, you might be able to hold your ground when it comes to WordPress.