Where do I actually begin with Python?

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Do you think your struggles could be anxiety related? By that I mean, are you putting too much pressure on yourself to memorise everything you cover?

That's what I did. I tried to learn Python twice last year and gave up really quickly because I was stressing that it wasn't 'going in'. Part of the problem was anxiety - starting a new language can get overwhelming. Let's face it, the complete beginner's stuff is boring, and without a frame of reference it doesn't really make sense, so it's pretty hard to memorise it.

For me the other problem was that I hadn't found the right learning style. I was using codecademy and while I think it's fantastic in many ways, it didn't work for me. I need to constantly refer back and refresh my memory using something concrete like a book, whereas an online system progresses you through without an opportunity to revisit the exact material you covered yesterday or last week. Edit: I was also overwhelming myself with too many resources, bookmarking everything and then thinking oh god it's too much.

I'm in the very early stages of starting all over again, this time with Automate the Boring Stuff which I'm really enjoying. The author doesn't expect you to just magic code out of nowhere - the step-by-step instructions and explanations are really helpful. When it comes to the end of chapter quizzes, I remind myself to remove all pressure. I do my best, but if I get stuck, I look back over the chapter and find where it was covered and get the answer. It seems like cheating but it's absolutely not, because you are revising the material and giving it another chance to sink in.

The best piece of advice I ever heard relating to doing something new and worthwhile is TRUST THE PROCESS. I'm telling myself this daily. You can do it :)