My first flight post PPL was a checkout in a new type. After an hour I made some solo circuits, that was scary at first going solo in a new type. The following flights in the next weeks were also very exciting. Currently I'm flying confident with a passenger who's never flown before.
Until I have my own aircraft I do 1 cross-country flight each month, often with a new passenger who pays half the costs. This gets me 2-3 hours a month and every time a new destination. This means I need thorough preparation every flight, new airspaces, new airfields, new excitement. I'm still learning a lot, just without an instructor supervising me.
Try to do something new every flight!
There are also the 4 states of development to keep in mind (I hope I translate them well) :
- unconsciously incompetent
- consciously incompetent
- unconsciously competent
- consciously competent
So at first you don't know your bad at something, then you realize you're incompetent. At some point you're becoming competent, you just don't know it yet. Some time later you realize you're competent.
If someone else (especially if it's an instructor) let's you fly solo in their plane or gives you a license: you're competent enough, even if you don't realize it yet
(this doesn't imply all knowing, just competent enough)
The danger area in flying is thinking you're consciously competent while you're actually unconsciously incompetent. If you think you're in the last state, think back. If you can't recognize the first 3 states with reflection on yourself, you're still in the first state!
This can also apply to specific parts, like flying in different weather conditions. You can be very competent flying CAVOK, but very incompetent flying with low clouds and low visibility. Flying in Florida is different from flying in The Netherlands...