Each new release of Mathematica has functions that I should be using in my regular workflow.

The problem is that I develop habits--and when in a hurry (which is the usual case), I fall back on those old habits. Many of these of my go-to work-arounds that are simplified by newly introduced functions.

For example, I should be taking more advantage of Query[...] and CurryApplied and OperatorApplied, but I don't take the time to dig in and make them part of my normal workflow. I recently dug in and starting using Indexed with TagSet and made a task much much simpler.

So, here is the question: What are the best strategies for long-time users to stay current? How do you make sure you are using the best-and-newest stuff? How do old dogs learn new tricks?

It may seem silly, but this is a serious question.