I learned using the SCA method, then i switched to helicopters and discovered drift lines, which make everything 200% easier!
In a nutshell:
1 Draw your track line, then draw a dotted line 10° either side.
2 Pick a prominent feature somewhere before half way.
3 When you get there, use the track lines to assess your drift (rarely more than 5-6° unless the winds are completely wrong)
4 Now hold that error until the half way point (or half way time)
5 At the half way point, correct using Double the drift. (If you're 4° left, steer 8° right. 4° to get you parallel and 4° to correct you back again.
The further along track your 'drift fix' is, the more accurate, and you can of course alter the maths to suit (so if you assess drift and turn at ⅔ point for example, you would apply drift plus double drift)
Other than that, the biggest cock up will happen if you take off planning to turn left and atc tell you to turn right, immediately f*cking up your day and giving you monkey-brain, so take off and get yourself to a prominent feature close by and draw the line from there. That way you can start the clock and the right time, facing the right way at the right speed.