starting programming

i've taken a passionate interest in programming and yet i'm having trouble getting started. i've learned quite a bit of basic C# (written a half-done Notepad clone, an email spammer, and an IRC bot) but now i'm stuck. i'm also taking a java class in which i learn noting because of the slow pace and outrageous similarity to C#.

1. what kind of programs should a beginner try making to further his/her skills without overwhelming him/her self?
2. should i continue to program C# and java until i've mastered them, or should i take the time for c/c++ right away.
3. what sort of goals should a programmer keep in mind from the start?

>>9
please take the criticisms of /prog/ very lightly. 90% of all the people here are butthurt college graduates that couldn't satisfy any simple problem if it was already solved in pseudocode. basically the real way to learn is to not be afraid to make mistakes. this means that you shouldn't fear learning java, lisp, any .Net language or working with UML, XML or scalable enterprise code.