I hope not everyone who wants to become a director starts one of these.
Hmm..suggestions. Well, shoot as wide as possible. And if you're forced to use matting rather than genuine scope, hard matte the sucker so there won't be a hybrid 4:3 version with more image.
Dependent of the material of course, avoid quick editing. Give your actors a frame to play in and let there be silence too. So much good acting is lost to editing out quiet moments.
Don't try to impress. If you have to do a lot of fancy stuff to spice up things, your story and/or acting might be a little weak.
Don't add stuff that's unnecessary just to achieve the rating you might want. (ie; don't add an extra 'fuck' just so you can get the R-rated audience)
Make sure you can see the completed scenes in your head before they're shot. If you don't have a vision, your heart's not in it.
Pay close attention to any contracts you might sign. Try to avoiding giving up artistic freedom just to get your first one out there.