The Paul Graham advice of "build things you and your friends would use" alongside Python -- which was my first language, getting back to coding for the first time since 9th grade -- is basically the carrot I've offered to a few people wanting to get into coding.

I'm lucky in the sense that what got me back into coding was a very specific set of personal needs that drove me mad in the best way with passion. I'm not a technical wizard, but coding and growing over the last few years has to count for something.