Thinking About Learning Guitar?

I've been playing guitar for about a year now.  By no means am I a professional musician yet, but I think I've progressed well after playing for 13 months, even though I am 20 years old and I am a university student.  I'm not trying to sound pretentious or anything, I just think it's worth mentioning because it proves that you don't have to start playing an instrument at a very young age in order to get good at it.  If you think you want to learn an instrument like guitar (or anything else for that matter), it's very easy to achieve.  All you have to do is this:

1) Pick your instrument: I chose guitar, but there are plenty of choices out there.  Some require more time and effort, as well as money.  Decide what you're willing to put into it before you make your choice.

2) Find a teacher: Some people can learn by ear, but that's a rare gift to have.  These days it's pretty easy to learn off internet tutorials.  I find them useful sometimes but prefer having a person teach me face to face.  I was lucky to have a roomate who is a great guitarist.  You'll find most people are happy to teach you how to play their instrument, so find someone and don't be afraid to ask.

3) Set Goals: If you think you're going to be shredding and doing complicated solos in a month, then you probably won't get very far.  I've been playing for a year and have only started to learn lead parts.  You have to set a list of goals and work on them one at a time.  For guitar, it's good to start with open chords, then move on to bar chords.  The only song I knew after the first couple weeks of playing was "Time of Your Life" by Green Day.  Once I could do that, I moved on to more challenging songs.  Take your time!

4) Practice: If you want to pursue an instrument and get good at it, it takes time and practice.  It's not a secret.  The best-known musicians are the ones who have spent hours a day for years perfecting their craft.  Plan your time, practice every day, and challenge yourself.  Eventually you'll find yourself playing an instrument and you'll ask yourself: "When did this happen?"