It takes concerted effort to get better at anything.
You can't simply snap your fingers or wish to get better to be better. To better oneself takes focus, practice, mentors, reviews, reflection, and analysis.
I've been working at getting better at a small, enjoyable game. I am motivated to practice because I enjoy the task, and I match my skills against many who are not as good as me, better than me, and about the same as me. There is a positive challenge when I play each of these types of opponents.
When I play those better than me, I learn a lot from their skill and strategy. I watch how they play compared to me, and better my strategy and skill all the while. It's important to compete and learn from those better than you.
When I play those who are not as good as me, I have the luxury of time to improve my skill and think more about my game. This gives me time to finesse, and when I play those similar in skill to me, there tends to be a good deal of camaraderie as we cheer each other on. There's a comfort level when playing with people with similar skill.
As with any goal, it is good to position ourselves with a myriad of others in real time or online to get better at what we do.
There will be ebbs and flows with this process, and can we notice when and why the ebbs occur as well as why we flow at times too. For me, good energy leads to the best learning while days when I'm tired or distracted takes me back a few steps. Getting obliterated by a fierce opponent tends to take me back and quickly propel me forward after that. Analyzing your skill and strategy energy informs good work.
All in all, getting better at anything is a process that takes time, mentoring, thought, and lots of practice. This is a truth that all learners need to embrace.