Eat/awake/sleep

Ashley • One baby girl, born March 2016. Married. Live in WVa
Everything I've read says you are supposed to get the baby into this cycle of eat/awake/sleep. It was even in one of the articles on this app today. My baby is either asleep, eating, or crying. So she nurses to sleep. She pretty much wakes up eats goes back to sleep. She's three weeks. 
Has anyone been able to get their baby to be in this cycle? How do you get the baby to sleep if you don't nurse or rock or pat them to sleep? 
My baby also does not sleep well when put down. Am I doing something wrong? Or is this just one more piece of advice I should ignore and do what works for me/us: nurse on demand and let her fall asleep while nursing? 
I feel like I'm already failing because she doesn't sleep well.... Any help or advice is appreciated