One step farther than “freemounting” . . .
I would say learning the “static mount.”
I have seen a lot of beginners crippled by the “standard rollback mount” because it is useless in rough terrain or mounting skinnies - or any “imperfect” situation.
The most important skill after learning how to freemount and ride away is finding another unicyclist.
My early years of unicycling were hampered because I didn’t know anyone else who rode a unicycle and I was not exposed to anyone who could do skills or tricks on a uni. I learned how to ride, mount, idle, and ride a giraffe, and that was the level my skills stayed for about 15 years. In those 15 years I never learned to do more than just ride around and idle. 
If I had seen other people my age riding unicycles and doing basic freestyle skills then I would have been much more likely to learn those skills too.
After you get the basics of going a few yards,
Freemounting, and then, finding a place where you can ride uninhibited for long stretches.
I find the more miles you get under your belt, the better everything else feels.
If you get comfortable with long stretches (like an empty mall shopping lot) then turning happens naturally.
After you can ride, turn and have a decent amount of control,
try these…Thats the order in which I learnt.
1.Freemounting
2.Idling
3.Backwards
4.Hopping
4.Wheel-Walking
By then, you should be able to choose your next move.
Obviously,following the Skill Levels as a general guideline should be the best.
yes here here! i lived in the dark ages of Solo’A Go Go for a year before John came down here and we rode for 30 minutes. after the freemount its definatly finding somone to watch ride.
for just learning though, i also agree. its the freemount.
That…and finding this forum. Which is kind of the same. A real person is nice to have around.
But once that’s done, I think the most important [skills] to have are perservearance, open-mindedness, and some courage. But mostly perservearance.
Sometimes you’ll go insane trying to get a new skill. A hundred failed attempts at [freemounting] [one foot idling] [riding backwards]. Then you shift your weight, or hop a little higher, or sit a little heavier/lighter and voila.
Having someone else around to discuss what’s happening speeds the learning curve dramatically.