The simplest approach: one question, one card
If you are learning tarot, you do not need a large spread. Start with one clearly phrased question and draw one card. Consider its familiar meanings and relate them to your subject: what might it suggest about a relationship, situation, action, or possible development? Then stop rather than immediately drawing again in search of a different answer.
A single card is often enough for a simple situation. More cards are not a substitute for a poorly defined question.
More complex: three cards and a significator
For a layered situation, I prefer drawing three cards to read together, plus a significator: an additional card that establishes the overall tone of the reading. The three cards reveal different sides of the subject; the significator helps keep the interpretation coherent.
The significator is not an obligatory mystical key. It is a role assigned to a card within your chosen reading method. What matters is deciding how it works in advance, rather than changing that rule after seeing the result.
Do not get trapped by the spread's geometry
Spreads can be circles, lines, crosses, or horseshoes. I would not attach excessive importance to their physical geometry. The central questions are what you asked, what role you assigned each card, and which cards actually appeared.
If inventing your own questions is difficult, use a ready-made spread. It supplies a workable structure; add the background of your situation wherever possible.
To me, tarot is not a mechanical device where the distance between two cards guarantees a correct answer. It is a language of images, connected with inner life and the human attempt to understand experience.