Sometimes it's a case of finding a flying instructor that you like and puts you at ease. Someone who will make the learning enjoyable, so that your not just spending money, but your having a good time. Even better if you can get involved in a club where you can do some backseat trips and just start to have fun in flying.
It's good to have goals, but it's also good to enjoy being up in the air.
You should also keep preparing on the ground, be as ready as possible. Read through the checklists whilst thinking through the procedures, practice the memory checks to make them flow more easily in the air. Read through the last exercise you did a few times to make it stick, and read up on the next exercise so you are remembering the procedures. Read up and practice your circuit procedures, heights, power settings and turns in your head. This means you can concentrate more on flying in the air.
For the radio, reading CAP 413 (I think?), and listening to ATC on radio or something can help. I listened to Amsterdam on the internet when I was doing my PPL trying to build a mental image of what was going on just by listening, and it improved my RT very quickly. Just practising the phrases, and knowing them so you don't have to think too much about them.
Also, be ready for the lesson. Arrive early so that you can be relaxed, go through the Notams, METARS and TAFs whilst chatting to people in the club so that you can bring yourself into the right mindset before the flight.
These things all worked for me.
Last edited by L'aviateur; 17th August 2010 at 21:32.