Thread: Beginners luck? Need help.

Hello,
Since January, I've only had two lucid dreams.
In the first, I saw 6 fingers on my hand, and prolonged the dream by looking back at my hands. (I even touched a dream character's hair to help with grounding.)
In the second, I had a false awakening in my room and went down my steps to another room with a door. I used the door with the intention of summoning a woman. When I entered, I found her in the room in the dark, and we simply embraced in a hug for a while. When my dream faded, I held onto her dream body until my vision returned. When she left, I went down to the dining room, and noticed that my vision was blurry. I looked back at my hands until it returned to focus. After that, I saw my backyard in real time out the window, and when I went outside, I used the front door as a way of changing the house to different interior....
While these two dreams were a success (especially for a beginner) i still have some questions for you: I haven't had a lucid dream since then in over 2 weeks. When I perform Reality checks, I concentrate too much on the checks themselves instead of the questions behind them. I also lack confidence in which ones to choose. Should I do them in this order? Hands, Watch, and Finger through palm push? When I finish them, I usually repeat a mantra like: next time I dream, I see my hand and know I.m dreaming'" I try to attempt WBTB method since I wake up two times each night but need help in that area too. What mantras do you use through out the day or night before bed? Should I meditate when I wake up before attempting to sleep again? thanks' please provide other tips as well. Thanks.