How do you move yourself to continue to pick up newer skills? Where is the motivation to study? How do I find that elusive motivation? I open the book and my mind wanders. Is this not what I want? Is this a form of self sabotage? Has my passion waned? how do i re-ignite the fire? How do I focus my energies away from thoughts of procreation to thoughts of education?
Being a software developer means constantly upgrading your skills. However, I know what you mean. Your brain can only take so much rote learning before it starts to rebel. Have you read any of the Heads First books? The one I read talked a bit about how we learn things: what works and what doesn't and then launched into its subject with a lot of pictures, diagrams, side comments, and creative ways of presenting information so it would be more interesting.
My own advice is put a limit on how much time you will study and make milestones as if you were planning a project. If I think my only reward for studying will be to make more time for extra studying, then my motivation drops quickly to zero. Then I'm just making myself miserable and not really learning anything ... the worst of all possible situations. If I make a reasonable target, like in the next half hour I will read and understand 10 pages of this book, then I will go for a walk, or play a game, or anything else that I like, then I can study more effectively and still have time for fun.