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?

>>22
A. Your convention is obtuse.
B. No it doesn't. Smalltalk consists of: message passing. That's it. Lisp is full of special forms. The uncleanliness of Lisp's thoeretical model was one of the reasons Alan Kay invented Smalltalk.