[onan_barbarian]

These are dumb expressions ("Code Ninja", "Rockstar") but the intent is fine.

My recommendation is to build a bunch of interesting things that are at a higher level than one-off, design-free algorithm puzzles (well, those sorts of things aren't exactly 'design free' but they typically don't make you think about lots of tradeoffs - you find a plausible way to do something and do it).

I suspect that for most people this means finding an employer who solves interesting problems and getting an job there that actually involves participation in the 'good parts', so that you actually do it. My record of self-motivating after my degrees were done is pretty much zero - best to make this your day job.