Drawing 102: perfect requires practice

The first time you do anything it is highly unlikely that you will be good at it. Drawing is no different. I can't count the number of times new students come to me before class and say, "I can't draw." It seems that they think drawing is some kind of god given talent that one either has or doesn't have. Drawing is like any thing else: the more you work at it the better you'll be. 

Many people also start out drawing subjects that are beyond the capability of most beginning artists. If the first thing you try to draw is a self portrait... well you're vain, but you're also likely to be less than pleased with the results. Start out with simple shapes like blocks and cones. As you master these you can build your more complex subjects out of these component shapes as if you were building them with Legos. Use a light pencil for this structural sketch work and then refine your lines until you are happy with the form. This process allows for mistakes and gives the artist the ability to easily correct those errors. 

Taking the time to complete many "studies" of a subject using this method will improve your skill at drawing and also enhance your familiarity with the nature of what you are drawing.