As a former CFI, my biggest problem with some of my private students is that they pick checkpoints and those are the only things they look for and thus when they miss one, their minds immediately shift into, "Holy Crap I am LOST!!!!!" mode.

The easiest way to help yourself with basic VFR, unassisted, cross country flying is to be a pilot and use you head.

As you fly along, keep your mind open to the situation around your position. Just because you use the power lines 15 miles ahead as your one checkpoint for the next 40 miles, you can still use the giant river below you that runs DIRECTLY to your destination to keep yourself on course as well. You (and your way of thinking) are NOT limited to the checkpoints that you select while sitting on the ground because quite frankly, we are pilots and pilots are always continuously thinking of the next step down the line and just because your next step isn't for 25 miles, that doesn't mean that you should completely forget about the sectional chart until you get there.

Always keep your eyes open for even the most simple and subtle terrain feature that you can positively identify on the chart. A lake surrounded by other lakes might seem bad there is always something to use. The orientation of the lake cluster, the size and relative positions of each lake, the funny looking cove in the smallest lake that is dead ahead.

Use your head and you will never get lost!!