Many students open a book and feel intimidated by the various letters, mathematical operations, and verbiage of theorems and proofs. Though many times students have applied and worked with what they are reading, they do not understand the language used. Go to the examples and justify each step of the problem. Understand how they got to each step...
Mathematics is a craft, and with any craft you must practice to perfect it. It will not be easy and at times you may be frustrated by the number of times you have to restart your problem because of a minimal mistake. BUT you must perserve! Learn from your mistakes to ensure you do not repeat it, and you understand why it doesn't work. Each "mistake" is a learning opportunity, maybe one that you will never forget.
Many problems follow a certain structure. If you practice enough and often, you will notice those patterns that will get you to a solution much faster. You will also notice shortcuts you can take because of the logical reasoning that goes behind it. Also, by adding more and more problems to your memory and experience, then you will be better equipped with more strategies.