For me the main sticking point was fear. Fear of flying, fear of crashing, fear of engine failure, fear of a wing dropping off, fear of getting lost etc etc.
Getting a licence was, and still is, the most difficult stressful awful thing I ever had to do in my life, and the training and learning to come to terms with my emotions became an almost carthartic exercise in self awareness, vulnerabilty and self conquest.
To this day, 25 years and seven hundred hours later, it remains far and away the best, most life enhancing wonderfully rewarding decision I ever made. The "edge" is still there but the joy is immeasurable....