I read this book recently called Atomic Habits by James Clear.
I guess it’s a pretty traditional self-help book. Does it make more or less cringey that I read it at the recommendation of Pete Wentz? Probably more, but there it is. It was pretty good. Good job, Pete. A very straightforward, actionable, no-woo approach to habit forming. I recommend it.
So because of this book and what it told me to do, I am playing guitar again after a 20 year hiatus. Well that’s not entirely true, I’m playing guitar again because I have always wanted to play guitar and because I am now writing a book about a woman who plays guitar so I figured I could write about that more easily if I could actually play a little guitar. And then I read this book to help me make it a sticky kind of habit.
I play for at least five minutes every day, and I am further along now than I have been in 20 years of dabbling. I can play Wildflowers by Tom Petty and Love Is A Laserquest by Arctic Monkeys. I can play the opening of All These Things That I’ve Done but then it gets into bar chords and I’m convinced I’ll never be able to play bar chords. I’m working on an acoustic punk version of the Sesame Street theme song. I thought Zelda would be amused. She is not, but it needs some work. Anyway, this is my vibe now. Don’t you love the way fingers look as they make chords? I do. I really really do. Peace.
