As far as speeding up the work, we can do things that will help to manifest the work faster. This involves "heating up" the work. Also, I've noticed that our true needs will manifest far quicker than just our wants.
Now, also please realize that we may have to do more than one work for something. We need to get this idea out of our heads that all we do is light this one candle, do this one jar, or what-not and then we are automatically guaranteed to get immediate results. It doesn't work like that. Sometimes we have to do multiple workings. As long as we don't get obsessed with the manifestation then we should be okay.
As far as what not to do, new workers should definitely not obsess over the work. After we finish a work we need to let it go and put it out of our minds so that God, the Universe, whatever can manifest it. If we are harping on it 24/7 then nothing is going to manifest because we haven't given it up to God. One more thing not to do is to formulate in our heads the exact steps about how a work will manifest. It doesn't work like that. We only tell God via our works what we want the outcome to be. We don't tell God step 1, step 2, step 3, etc. That's up to God to choose. We don't control how it will manifest, we only ask for the final outcome. (Example - "I need 300 for the electric bill." How it manifests is up to God, but the final outcome is that the money is there to pay the bill.)
Reference: candle-magic.blogspot.com