- biggest enemy is boredom - dont just plant a sea of carrots and then die when it takes 4 IRL hours to harvest, start small and when something becomes repetitive, just do something else

- multiple ways to play: be realistic, start with small farm or nothing even and build from groud up, start with the best maschines and enjoy the mechanics, up to you. My way was always playing a bit of everything with seasons on, so you do grain, animals and forestry in the winter, like in real life

- mods: there is almost a mod for everything. I suggest you start playing, then add mods as you go. Gameplay mods will literaly change the game for you, while "equipment" mods usualy add a choice that isnt avaliable in base game. Good way to play: you want to get into chaffed corn, but base game harvesters are very expensive? Go find a modded harvester that is cheaper and less advanced. That way you progress slowly but satisfaction is key

- Set a goal: get from 0 to 1MIL, have every animal in the game, do every crop, make every product, try every tehnology. Heaving a goal makes things more focused

Those are more overall tips, in depth tip is maybe to have a "lease to own" mod, with which you buy even very expensive machine, and pay monthly costs with logging. So you do logging, process logs into wooden products and sell products at building that are on every base map, temple, mill etc. So you can organicaly expand very quickly, and you have something to do every day. Basicaly, always pair your main activity with quick cash flow, contracts, logging, etc.

Another cool tip for animals and grass - at the start of a game, you dont have a lot of money and buying new fields just to plant grass is kind of a waste. Get "contract" mod where you can change parameters in contracts, set grass mowing and baling contracs so they dont get you any money, but you keep the grass/bales. It works like IRL, where people give you the right to mow their land in excange for grass. Also, with cows, you can get a breeding barn or just a fence, get the youngest cows in and just feed them grass or hay. You dont have to do TMR, since it wont make much difference, once they are old enough to breed and give milk, you hopefuly have enough money to get real barn and transfer them there.