It's hard to get good

Since embarking on this trek back into the world of music and guitar playing specifically, I've come to a realization:

There's just too damn much crap to learn.

It's overwhelming, really. Not only am I trying to learn guitar techniques - alternate picking, sweep picking, left-hand dexterity, legato, etc. - but I'm also trying to learn music theory. Stuff like scales, chords, modes, and how they all fit together. Some days I don't know where to start, so I just end up noodling around for whatever time I have to practice that day (it varies from 20 minutes to a few hours), which is pretty much what I've done for years and what I'm specifically trying to avoid doing here in my latest attempt at being a guitarist.

I heard a great quote on "House" the other day. Either you are good, you get good, or you give up. I'm not that good yet, and I don't want to give up, so I really have to work at the middle one - getting good. I tried the lesson route and that didn't quite work the way I thought it would. I've been trying to learn on my own, either through YouTube videos from guys like Rob "Chappers" Chapman or through Scales over Chords by Wilbur Savidge, a great book by the way. I'm still running into the same problem, though - where to start? Do I focus on technique, or do I learn scales and chords? Or should I just learn some new songs? (I'm getting really tired of playing Rush all the time.)

I'm at a loss. If anyone out there is reading this, I'd appreciate some suggestions. Before I go insane playing "Red Barchetta" every freakin' day!