NL vs Limit and how to mix it up / paths of progress

In another thread the topic came up and it seems that it is not covered in breadth anywhere. If it is please provide a link.

I suppose there are only several reasonable paths for mixing up different poker games. Because Hold'Em is so popular as opposed to other variants (Stud/Omaha) I will refer only to NL vs Limit but would appreciate any comments on those as well.

RayZee said:
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you have no business playing no limit while learning. if you want to build a bankroll and be a winner you need to do alot of serious reading and thinking about the game. then you can play a little higher limit poker and have a chance.

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It seems to me that this is the most solid path for an ambitous beginner. Other lines may include grinding out the micros.

What other paths are there and do you think there are only few valid ones? What do you think of fixed timeplans for progress? Is it possible to plan progress or is it up to fortuna to decide?