I think it's important to keep in mind you don't have to work at a breakneck pace. I know thats how you went at your last project, and I get how it's nice to feed on your own momentum, because I'm like that myself (to a lesser degree! lol). Even if you can only spend a little time, or the time you spend is inconsistent or varies, you can work on something bit by bit. Just my thoughts on this. ^^
Write, edit, script. I have a very informal written version of the entire story, made with a friend, I edit and script at the same time, and make whatever changes I need here. Script about a chapter at a time. I have some notes about what goes into what chapter, and usually they end up around 30 pages, but I most winged it at the start.
Goal: finish pages on time!
Hah, nah, I'm pretty low key, my main expectation is to just move forward, but I try to get four pages done a month. I think I have a good balance of taking my deadlines seriously, but allowing myself to take breaks or go on hiatuses where necessary. I usually think about what went wrong and what I could do better between chapters, so sometimes I have an aspect of the art I'm focusing on in the new bit.
Page format:
Eh, I read about page composition, did some practice stuff, then started winging it to the best of my ability.
Colors:
I suppose it depends on if you're doing B&W, limited color palette, or full color. I do a full color comic, so while I have some thoughts on appropriate colors for the characters, I mostly wing it.
Generally the main characters wear a lot of neutrals, and I'm slowly introducing more colors, but Phury and Payne start in shades of grey with jeans (basic), and Asoro is in white-blue with hints of gold. Their home is ranch style, so I went with wood, light colors, and I ended up mostly with shades of light blue for the walls just as an easy neutral pallete that's less bland than white.
And naturally I've made mistakes with some of my color choices and design choices, but I roll with it. XD
Because it's summer I'm trying to dedicate several hours a day, but I'm not always as productive as I should be. I can almost always to manage to get some work done every day, though. When I was working I could usually get a couple hours or more done in the evening, but during school I tend to be more mentally exhausted, so it depends on assignments.
I think whats important is to reflect on whats manageable to you and what your personal expectations of yourself are. Only you know how you work. Be flexible with yourself if you have an unpredictable schedule, or if things change, be willing to reassess whats reasonable to expect of yourself.
If you want to just experiment and try different stories, you can do that too.Build up to a more formal story. Whatever works for you is the right way to do things.