Quick advice?

I started my dream journal 3 days ago ...and from recalling 1 dream ...I can now remember at least 4. I recalled 5 the other night.

Ok, so step 1 is done, right??

Now I read through my journal to scan for any recurring signs, the only ones I notice are school ...and if it's not school then I'm outside, somewhere. I'm rarely home in my dreams. So I guess I should increase my awareness more and reality check when I'm outside right??

Will this work though? I'd much rather have a better trigger ...like if I flew in my dreams, but I don't. My dreams don't significantly differ from waking life, because in waking life I'm always outside as well, so should I reality check whenever I go out??

ONE LAST QUESTION, PROMISE!
For those of you that also rely on increasing awareness and reality checks, how long did it take before you had your first lucid?? Or better yet, how long did it take for you to have them consistently? Since I started my journal 3 days ago, that's where my lucid journey began, but I've had no lucids yet and I'm gettin anxious, lol.

Your dream recall seems to grow rapidly. Keep at your dream diary. It will pay off.

And you're absolutely right; try to focus yourself on YOUR recurring dream signs (dreams are personal; what may work for others may not work that well for you). These are excellent to attain lucidity. Try to recreate the feeling and moment you have when you meet any of these dream signs in your dreams in waking life.

Practicing reality checks works. Intent to remember that you need to do a reality check later when X happens. Make X your dream sign. This will train your prospective memory.

My first lucid dream happened after around 1.5 week when I started practicing it.

Thanks for the reply :).

Dream signs really do change! Back when I first posted this thread, it was school. Now I'm having dreams of me arguing a LOT with my girlfriend, or us just getting into some trouble.

I will continue my journal and focus on these signs, because anything that has to do with WILD doesn't work for me.

So arguing with your girlfriend is one of your new dream signs.

And it's OK. I've had a time I had almost one lucid dream per night (all DILDs and MILDs), but I really sucked at WILD (and still do). You don't need WILD to succeed at lucid dreaming, though if you've mastered it you can have a lucid dream anytime you wish. It's easier to start with the other things, like keeping up a dream journal, reality checking, WBTB and MILD.

Try spreading your effort in lucid dreaming throughout the day during different events. I find that this helps me. The logic behind it is that learning spreadily is better than learning uninterrupted for a long time period.