Awareness, humility, and patience. Three qualities that I feel are important as it pertains to straight razor shaving ( and really, anything ).
Be aware of what is happening, as it is happening.
Be humble enough to honestly assess your progress without negative self-talk.
Be patient - realize that sucess rarely happens overnight. In fact, it is precisely the learning curve that makes it fun.
Just my thoughts on the suject ( a little over 4 months in )
Ken