I think a lot of the time we expect steady, observable, incremental improvement, but for many people, maybe even most, learning doesn't seem to work that way -- I know it doesn't for me. I plateau for what seems like forever, and then take a big leap to the next level almost in the blink of an eye.

I know sometimes I'm working on a lesson and it seems like I'm not only getting nowhere, but getting worse. Sometimes I step away, but other times, I take a breath and ride the wave through it and all at once, it feels like things slide into place and I get it.

If you feel this deeply, keep at it. In addition to learning something you love, you're also teaching yourself patience, persistence and a lot about how you learn best, and these are not small and inconsequential things.

Another thing -- We live in a culture that doesn't cultivate patience and in which most of the unglamorous work of getting better happens "off screen." People share their successes, etc., but very rarely the hard work of getting to that point. So it may be that in some ways you, and the rest of us sometimes, are victims of this cultural mindset in which everything happens fast and everyone seems to be successful without effort. Of course, that's just not so. I would encourage you to go read about Michael Jordan and the many thousands of hours he spent being BAD before he became a master of his craft. Or -- I was just reading Bruce Springsteen's memoir -- about how hard Bruce worked to get where he got. It don't come easy, but it comes... it you want it. Hang in there.

And finally, I noticed you used the word "perfect" re: Ode to Joy. Is it possible your standards are too high? I don't think we're shooting for perfection here -- even the best of the best aren't perfect, they've just learned how to work with their mistakes and move past them. Billy Joel calls his mistakes "real rock and roll f*** ups and points out that only our mistakes are original -- perfection is generic. And Emmylou Harris once said that our limitations define our style. So forget perfect! It's not an attainable goal, and probably nor should it be. Perfect is boring. Be like Michael and Bruce and Billy and Emmylou instead.