I think doing all that would definately be helpful but I don't actively try to lucid dream too much. Most of mine are where I just become aware that it's a dream rather than having to do an rc (although I usually try a different rc each time after I become lucid just to see what happens).

And also you're right about it being hard to remember things while in a dream, probably because in a dream you are a different person (maybe still yourself but with different actions, attitudes, etc.) with a different history etc. It can get confusing about what is actual reality's history and what was made in the dream.