My car has only once been hard to shift into first. Since then I've stopped using the "shift into neutral at traffic lights" trick. Instead, I just put it into first as I'm at or coming to a stop and leave it in first with the clutch pedal held to the floor. I never used to do the neutral trick before so I don't miss it.
Reverse occasionally doesn't go all the way in. I find the "clutch in, put into neutral, clutch out, clutch in, put into reverse, clutch out" method works every time when this happens. Strangely, it happens for me more often when the car is warm, not when it is cold which is when the idle might be high. In my previous car I used the "inch forward in first then try reverse again" method but that doesn't seem to help with my MINI.
If you read elsewhere you'll see that some people eventually cannot shift into reverse at all and then need a new tranny. Mine has been a bit funny into reverse once in a while for at least the last 2000 miles and isn't getting worse (in fact, is better) so hopefully I won't need a new gearbox!
Harry