Holloway,
Welcome to the best way yet devised of learning and having fun at the same time.
Yours is a tough question, because in aviation generalisations (including this one!) are something you should be wary of. But at this early stage I hope the following will serve you well.
1. Never be afraid to ask an apparently dumb question. If there's something that gives you a nagging suspicion that you don't really understand it, stop and get an explanation.
2. Learn to listen for little voices that say "something's not quite right". They are potential life savers.
3. Think always about the risk factors you are running, and how they combine. Nothing in life, including getting out of bed, is risk free, so it's not about avoiding risk altogether, it's about assessing and managing risk in an intelligent way. To give a simplistic example, here are a few of the many risk factors that come up in flying: gusty wind, high temperatures, fully loaded aeroplane, short runway, unfamiliar airfield, feeling tired, poor visibility, slippery surfaces. On any given day one of these will probably happen, and as your experience and ability grow, you will be able safely to cope with more. But never let them add up and combine beyond your ability to cope.
4. Accept that there is a great deal of discipline involved, initialy mostly externally applied, but later it increasingly has to e self-discipline.
5. There will be times when you feel you're not making progress, and times when it's easy. This is normal and OK.
6. Prepare to say goodbye to lots of money, and don't even think about flying a full size helicopter until you have completed your fixed wing PPL and / or won the lottery. People here prove the point that the only more expensive and intractable addiction than FW flying is helicopter flying, for those who are susceptible. (Your background suggests you may be.)
That all sounds like a health warning and I don't mean to be negative - for almost all of us this is a source of deep joy and satisfaction in our lives. Have a good time.