Since it really was intimidating at first, I set a goal of FMQing for 15 minutes a day on sample pieces. I tried different patterns on each sample, and in the end I combined all the samples using a quilt as you go technique to make a really cute baby quilt. It was the 15 minute limit that really made it work--even if I felt like doing more, I stopped after 15 minutes, so that I wanted to come back the next day.
http://theinboxjaunt.com/ has great designs to try in a sampler. I did it with a friend who was also a novice, and we challenged each other. But, even on my own, I find doing many unpleasant tasks can be made much easier by breaking them into 15 minutes/day, and somehow they get done easily that way.