I grew up in a non-hunting, non-shooting household. Not anti, just no one did it. Early adulthood I connect with a friend who did both, and my sister married a guy who hunted, so I got some mentors. Started deer hunting, and while I didn't shoot any deer for quite a few seasons, I was around people who got deer and I was able to observe the field dressing process. When I got my first deer I was with my BIL and he ground-guided me through the process. Next year I got my second deer opening morning. I was with my BIL's group, but we had all separated. I started the field dressing process myself. Eventually my brother came along, but he had even less experience than I did.
When I first started hunting I was still getting Outdoor Life magazine. In one issue they had a two page illustrated guide to field dressing a deer, and I cut that out and kept it with my gear. So when I got that second deer I pulled out my Outdoor Life field dressing instructions to guide me through the process. Did it help--I don't know--but it probably did. At the end of the season those instructions went back into storage with my other gear, and every Fall I would pull them out again and stick them in my pocket or backpack. At some long ago point I no longer needed to reference them when dressing off a deer, but they still come with me every season. The paper is now so stiff and folded that I doubt I could unfold it without it disintegrating. The other thing that always comes with me is a folding knife my brother gave me that year. It is not a top shelf knife by any means, but it is small and sharp and gets used for part of the dressing off process each time.