With over thirty five years of experience I have to say the "best learned lesson" would be to stay committed to actually showing up in the woods on a daily basis... or as close to your comittment as possible.

Last season I was in the woods over fifty days, most of them full days, before sun-up and after sun-down.
I saw deer behavior that would take the casual hunter years to see.

It was one of the best years I ever experienced. It was my sons' first year to hunt since serving time in Iraq. Every outing in the woods I always seek to find a new nugget of truth. You might call it an,Ah,Hah!

Just showing up is half the battle.
Have a teachable spirit,look,listen and learn...