They’re saying time is our worst enemy and we usually think of it in terms of time we have on this Earth, but it is also very real in everything else! Definitely on a hobbies front… glad you are clear with your goals JK, I think we have a common approach here and I wish to do more and learn more, but… time 
Less OM performances from you suck big time, but if you compensate us over with more recordings then all will be forgiven 
I did totally understand you… I meant that I spend much much much more time here then I should 
and then I also look up many things all day long in between and learn all kinds of things about… everything related to animals and plants and … pfffff
But I really have to hold back a little … so I hope to follow your example a bit 
But I’ve said that before 
Greetings and have fun 
You’re very welcome 
Well that was a really well written thought provoking update to your LL. You’ve given me food for thought with that post as I can relate with it and have found myself drifting the past 6 months.
Having followed your progress on this forum from day one I don’t think it’s a matter of hope. I think it’s just a matter of time.
Look forward to watching them and learning from them when you post them.
A jam sounds good David, except for that pesky distance ! I bet Guitar Aerobics is pretty popular. It satisfies my itch for technique exercises and playing something a bit new. Although so weird that basic strumming and sweep picking are right at the beginning.
Hey Jeff, sometimes even the songs we’re learning are the same! Although your skills are much greater than mine, I was learning Paranoid without the solo then you posted it with the solo! Looking forward to reading that LL update.
Hey Toby! I hope the read was a bit entertaining. Stepping back from performing at the OMs isn’t to develop my skills, performing is one of the things I love most about guitar, and they’re a good reason to learn new songs! I didn’t say it above, but Nicole picked up on it in another thread - I’m moving house, and I won’t have an acoustic protected guitar room for 6-12 months, so I won’t be able to make a whole bunch of noise at 5am without waking everyone up. I’ve been pretty lucky in our current house my guitar/computer/kids playroom has a door and it’s away from the bedrooms.
Ideal for now 
. I’m sure it will change at one stage.
Isn’t that true, it’s so hard to find a direction? It was really easy at the start - learn to play, follow the course, oh here’s a song with 3 chords I know. You seem to have a pretty solid direction, at least from what it looks like over here - rock songs from the 60s through to now in a band with Dan! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my originals, hopefully anything else that I end up posting is OK 
Well I have to say that you’ve been one of the people that were encouraging the “just songs” focus in your replies to some of my earlier posts - both in my LL and on lesson threads. So I have to say I was inspired .
Time is always a challenge, there is so much else in life besides guitar.
Sounds like your youtube history is probably a blend of mine and my wife’s, I’m guitars and she is plants and animals.
Hey James! Ah, I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and tell people about it, so my LL has both the lost-in-the-wilderness post and the ok-doing-this-now post If there are nuggets for you, great. I get ideas from everyone.
The sound proofing makes sense for stupid o’clock performances but guess it won’t be a priority in the general scheme of things. When you are ready we’ll be waiting. 
It’s really good to have a plan. I would just add that learning progressions (including chords in a key), which are the building blocks of songs, is a better way to focus your learning and practice. If you learn a song that someone else is playing in a different key, it might not be that easy to shift gears and play along. What do you do if someone is playing an original song? If you get with a really good singer, chances are they are going to be playing in a key that suits their voice, and not necessarily like the original.
I would also add that knowing your triads and power chords are a huge help when comping. You can also get a lot of mileage from knowing the pentatonic scale backwards and forward for playing lead and fills.
Thanks for stopping by CT. I appreciate your advice and perspective. I know about chords in a key. The major, minor, minor, major, major, minor (diminished) thing. So I can work out keys. It ain’t automatic though, and I haven’t memorised keys (aside from C major). But if playing barre chords or jamming I can easily move up for down a couple of frets. Progressions, like 1-4-5 or something, yeah. I experiment with that stuff a lot on the guitar and learning barre chords unlocked it. Much more mental overhead doing it with open chords. I’m definitely no theory master though, more like an apprentice.
With scales I know minor pentatonic positions 1 & 2, and major scale positions 1, 2 and 3. So I can make up a solo or some licks. I figured learning songs trains my fingers for new patterns within the scales though, rather than the ones I’ve made up.
I’ll circle back to more theory and scales later. Eventually I want to learn as much as I can. Just the songs thing (yeah, written by other people!) is where I think I’ll get the most mileage atm.
No worries. Find your own voice and your own path. 
Hey JK, thanks for your update, thoroughly enjoyed catch up with where you’re at on your recent guitar-journey introspection. It seems clear to me (and others by reading through the comments above), that the great deal of thought you’ve put in to this has helped to sharpen your focus and give direction… “Until you change it” - as you said to Brian, which is a great perspective imo 
Songs are my inspiration too (as I’m sure with many), hearing a tune that excites or interests me is the reason I keep picking a guitar. The process of learning it, then playing along, is incredibly rewarding and lots of fun too!
Interesting to read this. The first point is totally understandable given your move up the coast and second sounds like a positive step towards addressing the “addiction” 
You may (or may not) have noticed my reduced participation here recently, this isn’t because I have lost interest, can’t be further from that, I love this community and and fascinated to see what people have been up to on their journey as well as learn from other’s insights. However, I had a couple of weeks of not following things closely and subsequently felt “left behind” a little. The prospect of catching up just seemed too daunting for the amount of time I would need to commit (I’m a slow reader! 
), therefore it was then that I decided to limit my consumption a touch but still dip in to read and respond when time & opportunity allowed. I feel I have lost touch a bit with where things are at but the extra time I have gained has been put to good use with guitar in hand. I will be interested to hear down the track how you find it, although you are likely a much faster reader than myself, so will probably stay on top with greater ease! 
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, JK, it was a refreshing read and inspired reflection on my own path.
Cheers 
Yeah, I noticed! I also have already seen you go through periods where you had less community time because of busy periods at work and I figured it was at least one of those for you. Ever hopeful you come back each time you disappear for a short bit.
I’m not sure how my reading speed compares to yours, but I think you often write longer comments than I do, although I do occasionally write mini-novels it seems. I find it’s the writing and replying that seems to take the most time!
Internet addiction/dopamine hits/etc are real and not particularly good. I’m weak, it gets me. Back in 2009 I deleted my facebook account but recreated it around 2017 as it became impossible to do kid & club stuff without it. I’ve recently deleted my reddit account, removed all the games from my PC, etc - to try to remove temptation to waste time. Guitar is a hobby, aimless gaming or websurfing is just a waste.