One main suggestion that I would make, is to decide what course you would like to take. APK talks of learning VB and such, which is fine if you want to go a development route. While having knowledge of a broad number of topics is good, you should focus on what you want to get out of this certification and where you think your career path may lie.
I started off as desktop support and basic network administration in a Win9x/Novell environment, and slowly started working with NT. As I came to get more familiar with (and fond of) NT, I started using it more and more. I left that position, and eventually made my way to my current job where I am the sole admin of a full NT (NT4/2K) network. I now work with Exchange 5.5, SMS 2.0, Progress (DB software), QAD (ERP system), MS SQL 2K, various McAfee Products, Access, etc. on a daily basis. This has proven to be quite fun, and very educational. However, while I have enjoyed being a sysadmin, I would like to move on to web development. This was kicked off by my more recent interest in databasing, and was then fueled by working with ASP. I had a very strong background in IIS, so basic site structure and optimization wasn't an issue.
The reason why I bring this up, is that APK is suggesting more of a admin/developer hybrid in the subject matter he wrote about. You can become a very skilled network admin and not know anything about VB, Java, C++, etc (I didn't, and I am just now dragging on through VBScript/ASP) while performing your job at a top-tier level. Programming is as simple as executing a series of commands in a desired order, such as a batch file. But I would have to draw the line there, as opposed to APK's notion of the future sysadmin needing to be a programmer as well. In smaller organizations, that would make more sense as they can't afford to bring in multiple personnel. However, those same companies might not be able to afford someone that is good at both professions anyway, and will probably stick with someone who is more focused on administration rather than programming. As for larger companies, the division between both IT types can be so great as to make them almost invisible to each other, even if they are in the same building.
Remember, don't be concerned about the money while laying out your certification track; try to focus on what you enjoy, and envision yourself doing in 10-15 years. If you keep working at what you like, the money will come eventually. There are so many options available in the current Microsoft Certification program (along with many other certifying bodies such as Cisco and the A+ programs), that you should be able to tailor an education best suited to your goals. Also, DO NOT FOCUS ON JUST PASSING THE TESTS. Try to think of it as an education, and the tests are merely for YOUR benefit to gauge how you are understanding and retaining the material. Too many people think of just passing the exams, and wind up putting so much pressure on themselves that they are doomed to fail.
This is a major step in your career, so try to enjoy it, ok?
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