Tools

Have these in the same location. Get familiar with the tools so that they maximize your study.

Commentaries: The biggest thing about these is that you do not treat these as if they are answer keys. Instead, they should be referenced after your initial study using the basic and specialty study tools. This way , when you are consulting the comments of another person, you are comparing them against your own personal study in an effort to discern the truth.
Concordances:  An excellent tool, especially when analyzing  the words in a text, the concordance (I am partial to Strong's) gives you an alphabetical listing of all the words in the Bible and the references of the locations of each word. If I want to look into the word "love" more, I may want to see other places it talks of the same word. There is not always a 1-to-1 correlation between an English word and a word that is Greek or Hebrew (the original languages). It can be important to look into the meaning of these words in Bible Dictionaries but this will be revealed in most Bible concordances. 
Bible Dictionaries: When transitioning from English to Greek or Hebrew, there can be a variety of situations you might need to confront. Sometimes a single English word is translated from multiple words from the original language and sometimes a single word from the original language can be translated into many different words in English. The Bible dictionary (I am partial to Vine's) helps you to pair the words to the right definition. This tool works best in conjunction with a Bible concordance. 
Paper Books: If there is a word in my Bible that I would like to find the definition of, I would look up that word in the Strong's Concordance and find the specific reference with that word in my Bible. Then I would identify the Strong's number paired with that reference. Then I would look up that number in the Vine's dictionary to determine the definition of the word I am trying to define. 
Digital Tools: If there is a word in my Bible that I would like to find the definition of, I would go to that reference in BlueLetterBible.org and click the "Tools" option for the verse. Scroll down until you see the word you want defined and click on the corresponding Strong's number.
Translations: Every translation of the Bible is on a spectrum from "word-for-word" to "thought-for-thought." The word-for-word translations are much more accurate to use in your daily reading and study. However, it can be helpful to reference the thought-for-thought  translations if the text is difficult for you to understand. If you are unsure about where on the spectrum your regular Bible falls, I would suggest looking that up.
Bible Atlases: The Bible Atlas allows for a serious look at the geography of the Bible. I enjoy the Moody Bible Atlas because it has everything in chronological order and allows for easier reference.
Biblical Books: These are any type of book that talks about biblical things without going verse by verse through a book or section of the Bible like a commentary would. I broke these into the categories listed below.
Resources - These books are not meant to be read straight through. They are resources for you to pull out when you need it, use the index or table of contents to find a particular section, and then put it back when finished. It is helpful to have these organized when put away for quick reference when needed. 
Compilations - These books are pieced together on a particular theme or by a particular author. I like to read a book like this is the busier  seasons of life. They allow you to read a chapter, enjoy it, put it down for a while, and then return to it without missing anything. Other books require you to follow a flow of thought that these do not require because each chapter is self-contained.
Devotionals - These books tend to fall into the compilation category, although not all of them do. These also tend to be shorter. It is important to find good devotionals that are based on Scripture. These can be great additions to your regular Bible reading time but they should never replace it. 
“Read-throughs” - These books have a consistent flow of thought that runs through the entirety of the book and the reader should grasp that if they want maximum gleaning from the book. I like to tackle these when I know I am going to have more time that I can devote to it. However, some written on heavier subjects may take time to process. I have read books that I needed to delay moving to the next chapter because I was still processing the previous one. Move at your own pace with these books but the idea is to keep moving. Read some every day. Otherwise you forget the main points, lose interest, and stop reading.
TIP: Only read the really good books you are really interested in. There are SO many good books out there. We should never waste time with a poorly-written one or one that you are bored with. Spend time finding a good one! Here is an episode about choosing good books. 

Barriers to Avoid

Avoid Distractions - You know the things that distract you when you sit down to study your Bible. Develop your environment to minimize these distractions.  Choose a time of the day, location, and think about the tools you are using. If needed, do not use a phone or computer to study your Bible. 
Avoid Self-Dependence - The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word of God and He is our Teacher! We need to depend on Him for our instruction. Pray before, pray after, and pray during your time. There are great strategies and tools but if that is what we depend on we limit ourselves in a dramatic way.
Avoid Knowing Without Doing - There should always be an outflow of your Bible study. If all you gain is knowledge, all that is ahead is a puffing up (1 Cor. 8:1). Below are two helps that I have found to avoid this.
Worship – When you are studying a passage, ask, “What would I know about God if this was the only passage I had?” This leads to to think about God and His attributes leading me to thank God and rejoice!
Reflection – What have you applied from your studies? Who did you share it with? Reflecting and sharing with others is another great way to initiate the "doing" process.