Staying focused and in character can become "over rehearsed" if your director tells you, "That's perfect. let's do it again." I begin to worry I'll lose some of my natural spontaneity as the director keeps tweeking what I'm doing or saying or decides to do a small "re-write" on the spot.
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I find that can be a problem too, especially in film where there are a lot of retakes and coverage from different angles. What I like to do to freshen it up is to have a different thought process for each take that gets me to hit the same marks and blocking. I save my most intense concentration for my close-ups. That way I don't feel like a robot. It's easier to get away with on stage where the audience is watching from a distance. I look at being "in the moment" like a sparring session.
That is my biggest annoyance about the camera. I have theatre background and I'm not used to "do overs." If you have a great director who works well with actors, he/she should not try to squeeze a lot of takes out of you. i.e David Fincher
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On each take, every moment is about progress not perfection.
yes. it is ALL about the moment.
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I'd consider the project from not only the director's point of view but also from the POV of the editor (or the director if one person is doing both.) When I've watched editing, I've noticed that the more choices the editor has, the better things go. And sometimes I don't think it's possible to anticipate during the shoot exactly what you'll need in post. So realizing that it may not be thrilling to be asked to it again, especially at the end of a long day, you're tired, etc., try keeping in mind that the extra take might, emphasize might, be the one which they use to make you, the actor, look good. (This is not to say that a director may not make an error in going for too many takes.)