I started using Emacs in earnest a few years ago, especially Org-Mode. At first, I tried every customization I came across and loaded up my init file with all the cool mods. But when things went wrong, I had no clue how to fix them.

So after about a year I started over, resetting my config and using Emacs customization over custom elisp writing to get a working init file. It helped me learn a lot. This is the path I recommend: do small customizations using Emacs' built-in features, then learn elisp later.

I learned a lot from this CS prof's videos, and it's a good, practical learning path I'd recommend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49kBWM3RQQ8&list=PL9KxKa8NpF...

If you're into writing, I maintain a list of resources for writing with Emacs: https://github.com/thinkhuman/writingwithemacs