Getting started with Django can be an exciting journey into the world of web development. Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Before diving in, ensure you have a basic understanding of Python, as this will make your learning curve much smoother. To begin, follow these essential steps:

1. Install Django: Use pip to install Django in your Python environment by running pip install django.
2. Create a new project: After installation, you can start a new project using the command django-admin startproject myproject.
3. Run the development server: Navigate into your project directory and start the server with python manage.py runserver.

As a beginner, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the structure of a Django application. The core components include models, views, and templates. Models define the data structure, views control the logic, and templates handle the presentation. Start by building a simple app that displays a list of items, allowing you to grasp the relationship between these components. Django provides a built-in admin interface, which greatly simplifies managing your model data. Take advantage of this feature to become comfortable with CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, and soon you'll be on your way to creating more complex web applications.

Optimizing your Django project for performance is crucial to ensure a smooth user experience and efficient server resource utilization. Here are 10 tips to enhance your Django application's performance:

1. Database Optimization: Use indexing to speed up the queries and consider optimizing your database schema to reduce unnecessary complexity.
2. Use Django’s Built-in Caching: Implement caching layers such as Memcached or Redis to minimize database hits for frequently accessed data.
3. Static File Management: Serve static files like images, stylesheets, and scripts using a content delivery network (CDN) to reduce load times.

In addition to the above, consider these strategies:

4. Optimize Middleware: Limit the number of middleware layers; each one adds overhead to your request/response cycle.
5. Use Querysets Effectively: Leverage select_related and prefetch_related to minimize the number of queries made to the database.
6. Profile Your Application: Use tools like Django Debug Toolbar or Silk to identify bottlenecks in your application.
7. Asynchronous Task Processing: Move long-running tasks to the background using tools like Celery.
8. Monitor Performance Regularly: Use monitoring tools to keep an eye on performance metrics, allowing you to quickly respond to issues.
9. Upgrade Your Server: Sometimes, a simple increase in server resources such as RAM or CPU can greatly improve performance.

When it comes to developing applications using Django, even seasoned developers can fall into common traps. One major mistake is neglecting the Django settings file. It often becomes a source of confusion, especially if you aren't familiar with the categorized settings like DEBUG, ALLOWED_HOSTS, and DATABASES. Properly configuring these settings is crucial for ensuring your application runs smoothly across different environments. Always remember to use environment variables for sensitive information, such as API keys or database passwords, to avoid exposing them in your codebase.

Another prevalent mistake is over-using Django's ORM without understanding its intricacies. While Django's Object-Relational Mapping simplifies database interactions, it's crucial to be aware of how it handles database queries. For instance, failing to use select_related or prefetch_related can lead to N+1 query issues, adversely affecting your application's performance. To mitigate this, always review your queries and consider optimizing them to enhance efficiency, especially as your database scales.