During the initial phases of my private pilot training, something I struggled with was overusing the flight instruments. Rather than use external references like the horizon and a visual point for something like steep turns, I would fixate on the attitude indicator and altimeter. After all, how could I tell if my altitude was off if I could not look at the altimeter? Eventually, my instructor covered the instruments one by one while I was doing maneuvers, and lo and behold, everything improved! Not only was using the attitude indicator not required, in many ways it was less precise than proper visual flying.
Start your instrument training, and suddenly those same instruments are vital. Not only should you be using that attitude indicator as a central scanning point while instrument flying, but it is required equipment under IFR. An attitude indicator failure in VFR flying is a minor inconvenience whereas the same failure in IMC constitutes an emergency. If you have experienced a gyro instrument failure in IMC, you understand why.
