1- I agree with dolphin, waking up naturally on REM works much better than just setting an alarm... also you don't get bothered by the sound or anything.
2- This is not bad for a 1st week, one thing you can do is just lay still in bed after waking up and try to remember your dreams. Once you move and start your day normally it becomes much harder to recall them.
3- Law of attraction! If you tell yourself what you want in your life you will eventually get it. They become much more effective if you try to feel how you would feel if whatever you're asking for is already a reality.

Good luck!