I think I would say the following are worth bearing in mind:
- You will get good days and bad days, sometimes you go back a step or two. It's not a smooth progression from Zero to PPL, especially for us older types.
- Currency is vital - if you only fly ever 4 weeks progress will be oh so slow.
- You can fly too much - I did when I knew I was near to solo (gliders not power). I was sent on a day I thought I had messed some stuff up so it wouldn't happen that day!
- If keeping journals helps you learn, do so.
- Don't get drawn into discussions about how long to solo - it takes as long as it takes.
- Do, however, consider if you are in general progressing. We have had several people post who were getting stuck and once they realised they were, a change in instructor often brought dividends. Remember, you are paying to learn to fly.