Hello All i just have a few questions regarding my lucid dreaming techniques

First, when i began my day and usually ask myself "am i dreaming" or "i will become conscious tonight" that happens usually around 7 or 8 times a day and i feel when i do that it seems that my dreams arent as vivid or harder to remember comapred to when i never asked myself those questions before. am i doing something wrong or does it take more practice and persistence?

For a while now (couple years) when i am in bed i am usually listening to music for an hour or so, would this have any affect on my dream that night? and after im done listengin to music i will tell myself i will wake up in my dream tonight.

i started to keep a dream journal but sometime i forget to write my dreams down some days but some days i do so do i just need to keep doing that and not give up?

any advice would be helpful. but ultimately i always tell myself not to give up because it takes time, its not somethign that will instantly work for me so i will need to be persistent.

-AnJa