The Hardest Things about Learning
From an instructor's side, I have found the most difficult aspect of teaching students to be finding and overcoming all the misconceptions acquired since childhood.
There are a bunch of misconceptions like:
--The rudder turns the aircraft
--Just adding power makes the plane go faster
--A level flat smooth landing is a good landing
--Always land on both main wheels
--A stall is very dangerous because the engine quits
--A good landing is on the numbers
--A spin is very dangerous
--The hardest thing about learning to fly is "not flying."
--It's difficult to decide not to fly when you really want to, but the weather is marginal. Brien
-- Keeping my eyes out of the cockpit and not chasing the instruments. Mike
--Unlearning 'car behavior' . Rodney
--Making consistently good, safe, conservative, and realistic decisions about everything from weather to airplane airworthiness.
-- I'll go with parking the plane!!! Damn that is hard! Brien
-- Coming up with the money.
-- Dealing with the crusty old buzzard who runs the FBO and deliberately crushes his students' confidence.
--For me to become proficient at was flaring at the right time and touching down at the slowest speed possible Kevin Pool

Getting Started
---1. Have enough money so that it is not a part of your problem. Save until you have at least 6-7 K.
---2. Fly as often as you can for the first couple of weeks then you can taper off. It is cheaper to even fly twice a day. Less time to forget. Use a tape recorder as described in my web site.
---3. Fly as close to home/work as you can. Even at higher prices you will have more time to study. Study two or three hours for every hour of flying. Don't take a flying lesson you have not studied for.
---4. Make sure that there will always be an aircraft available. Be prepared to change planes and require one to be available to you. Don't take on an instructor that will not fly early in the day. You can pay more for flying time if ground time is free. A young/new instructor can be better than an old coot.
---5. Ask around the airport. You might find an instructor who teaches out of a hangar in his own plane. Could be best deal. If you are a self-learner don't take a ground school. Everything can be self-taught except for some navigation and weather.
---6. Best deal would be for three guys to buy a C-172 and take in a mechanic as member in exchange for maintenance. Then hire instructor capable of teaching two at a time. Change seats in the air.

Items

TLAR = That looks about right.

Accept something that you cannot change; you will feel better for it.

Using the correct aviation phraseology is most likely to ensure ATC's understanding and appropriate response.

As pilots we seek a full understanding of flying with the recognition that the goal is unreachable.

Excellence in flying is just beyond our capability; still we fly with hand and mind fully extended.

Becoming an old pilot is more than time logged and luck. Planned evasion of all possible unpleasantness enhances survival.

It is better to sound good than be good
Arthur Godfrey

The hardest turn to learn in aviation is the 180.
Lardsoup

"Find out why you made it (mistake) and do what it takes to avoid making the same mistake again.
Rod Machado

Memory Is the Second Thing You Lose
--Think through the important facts just before you go to sleep
--Segment what you want to remember into bits and related pieces.
--Write down briefly what you must remember; read it afterwards and say it aloud in you own words.
--Rote memorization is not as important as is the ability to look for and find what you need.
--Details are usually forgotten until they suddenly become important.
--Definitions exist to clarify the understanding. We can't think without the proper words.
--Relate what you want to remember to something you do remember.
--A one-on-one review is a good way to firm-up your understanding of things you should know.

Instructor Selection
Problem:
The teaching is done by the least experienced instructors.
The Solution:
--Good instructors are knowledgeable and comfortable giving instruction.
--Good instructors enjoy teaching
--Good instructors anticipate student difficulties and discuss them before getting into the aircraft.
--Good instructors are organized, exacting and stimulating.
--Good instructors are honest in stating their opinion and evaluation.
--Good instructors chose the safest options and are always situationally aware.
--Good instructors vary the intensity and pace of instruction.
--Good instructors expose students to real life flying situations and conditions.
--Good instructors come in all sizes, ages and colors.
--Good instructors know when to back off.
--Good instructors take time to prepare the student for the lesson.
--Good instructors take time to debrief the lesson afterwards.
--Good instructors will not frighten a student
--Good instructors are not necessarily good pilots but are safe pilots.

A Matter of Time
--Being pressed for time causes pilot errors
--Time pressure is internally or externally generated in the pilot by the ATC system, maintenance, FBO service and weather
--Time pressure can be minimized by avoiding places and situations that cause delay.
--Plan your flights so that the time pressures of others do not dictate the departure time.
--Go to the airport the day before to make sure everything about the aircraft is ready for the flight.
--Having personal inviolate minimums before reaching the airport can negate time pressure related to weather.
--Changing weather may force you to change your plans. Adapt to forced changes quickly and safely.
--Time pressure can be reduced by planning shorter flight legs and top off at each stop.
--Use ground stops as information update stops. Check speed of weather changes in past two hours.
--Decisions are better and safer if they are made only in black and white, do or don't do.
--Take a look decisions usually become dammed if you do and dammed if you don't situations.
--Airborne decisions are far more difficult to make safely than those on the ground.

Select a Free Lance Instructor
Your instructor is a more essential element than what you pay or the plane you fly. The difference in your training and knowledge is going to be the instructor. Time building instructors along with unable to do anything else instructors tend to be the worst instructors. Superior instructors tend to be those who fly often and would rather teach than eat. A free-lancer who is available only part time is your best bet. It may take you a bit longer with an employed free-lancer but they will give you the training you need to be a safe pilot.

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