Patience.
Patience to allow yourself to put the time in at the range to become properly familiar with gun handling and marksmanship.
Patience to understand that the more time you spend in the woods, the more observant you become and the more you see. You only become a hunter slowly through your own experience.
Patience to understand that once you pull the trigger, the bullet is unstoppable. Despite what the media experts impress, a hunting season doesn't happen in a 1/2 hour show and hunting isn't a competition.
After that, almost all the gear is a matter of compromise, and without a bottomless bank account, you build the gear slowly. You may adjust your outings to the weather due to your gear for a while but that teaches...patience.
After that, I agree that good footwear starting with the socks and going out is foremost, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot. Make sure they fit properly with good socks and you can walk all day.Next for me probably was decent non cotton long underwear, followed by a good pair of gloves/ mittens.