Before you start learning all sorts of verb tenses, it’s a good idea to learn the infinitives – particularly if you have a very logical brain. This way, you can focus on learning the meaning before learning how to conjugate the verb for all the different persons and tenses.
The infinitive of a verb is the basic verb before it has been conjugated. For example,
cocinar to cook
comer to eat
decidir to decide
All Spanish infinitives end in either –ar, –er, or –ir. You’ll need to know the meanings of many of these, but you’ll find that they are so commonly used, you’ll pick them up. Get someone to test you on these regularly to make sure you’re learning new ones all the time.