Paddling tips for a newb?

I started surfing about 4-5 months ago, progressed from an 8ft epoxy to a 7ft Swegg. Get more comfortable in the water each time I go out and I can catch waves pretty consistently as long as they're not too huge or too small.

My question is: what kind of paddling tips do you have for a newb like me? What are some techniques I can use to catch the wave before it breaks like I see longboarders do?

I've learned how to read and catch the shoulder of the wave so it's more of a gradual popup and not so steep (the rocker on my board makes it difficult for me to stick a steep drop, but I've done it a couple times standing more on the back of the board than normal) but there are a lot of times when I'm paddling my ass off only to miss the wave.

Any advice is definitely appreciated and I'll pass it on to anyone who happens to ask me in the future.

EDIT: Thanks for all the tips. I'll keep my mind on all this next time I paddle out.