MSmith said:
Let's suppose you're a fairly new Private Pilot. You're busy flying around, taking up friends and family, doing a few XCs.
You know that someday, you want to go for your Instrument rating, but you aren't ready to start the training yet.
What kinds of things should you be "working on" to get ready?
I can't say exactly how this relates, but I've been wanting to get this off my mind for awhile now. Maybe it will help you to hear this.
The biggest hurtle for me both in the primary training as well as in the instrument training has been the psychological one. I am a slow learner--and I've never tried to hide that from anyone--but I think I know the reason. I doubt myself, but won't admit this to myself. For example, during my primary training, I never felt that I would solo because I thought that you had to be a special kind of person to do this. Then I never thought I'd do my solo cross-country, becuase I thought to be a skilled navigator, you had to be born with a gift.
So when I started training for the IR, I tried to pull a fast one on myself. I thought that if I simply did not admit that I was doing serious training, that I'd be taking the pressure off myself. Meanwhile, I read three IFR texts, watched the videos, did the Gleim, and even got another 100% on my written exam. During that time, I mostly toodled around doing cross-countries which were planned as meticulously as possible. I also did the occasional IR lesson. But when I finally passed that test, I was forced to admit that I was either seriously training for the IR, or I should stop kidding myself. Did this techinique work?
No.
In the end, I couldn't fool myself. Only recently have I felt like a real instrument pilot. This was on a flight in real IMC, partial panel, on an NDB approach which I performed well enough to pass my CFII's test. Yeah, sure--pat myself on the back; but this isn't good. If I could help it, I would have simply told myself that I needed to train seriously from the beginning, but that I was sure I would do well as long as I kept at it.
Now, I don't mean to suggest that any of this is goin on with you. I'm really just getting this off my chest. But you've already gotten golden advice above, and the only thing I really have to add is to take a professional, serious view of any flying you do, and if you feel you are going to get the IR any time soon, to get serious a lot sooner than did I!
Have a great time!