V8 Staying on target with a initial idea in this approach, is super tricky (ok, darn-near impossible ?)
Yes, the many options at your disposal can detract from the original idea and progress on the project - and it takes discipline to stay the course once you start playing around with sounds, effects and other things. For this reason, I initially approach the DAW simply as a recording tool. I don't expect it to add any magic to my tracking / recording process. I record as clean and simple as possible - and then worry about tone, plugins, effects, etc in the editing phase (post-recording).
Having said that, playing around and experimenting is important too. That is how you get to explore your software and find out what it can offer.