Honestly, I think that everyone here is spot on.

(I'm new to Reddit so hopefully I'm mentioning everyone correctly!) /u/tenminuteslate is correct that you must spend time finding and playing things that you find enjoyment in. I know MANY people who tried their hand at piano, only to quit during lessons or give up soon after because they weren't engaged in the material they were playing. There absolutely must be an element of enjoyment there - it's great for motivation and it will make the "boring" stuff not so bad.

/u/yeargdribble is correct that understanding scales and the like will be helpful (although your goals will determine whether or not it's imperative to learn). Also it will be easy to plateau if you rely just on rote learning.

and /u/koujirofrau is right that you need to have a clear set of goals and reasons to play. Most people being learning the piano because they just want to learn how to play their favorite songs - nothing more, nothing less. Others want to learn how to play because they also want the knowledge and skill set to be able to walk into a music store and play any song that's written. And others want to learn how to play because they want to be able to create original arrangements, covers, accompaniments for a band, etc. Knowing what you want out of your piano learning experience will help make your approach much clearer.

All great advice! I would also add that although counting and "learning properly" will get you further in the long run (you'd have to define "learning properly"), they may not be necessary for what you wish to achieve. Not everyone who jumps into playing the piano cares to perform one day at Carnegie Hall - many just care to perform for themselves in the privacy of their home, and if that's your goal then you probably won't need the vigorous training given to concert pianists.