That’s the problem I have. At one point I was practicing for 3-5 hours a day for 4 months and I barely progressed. You really do need creativity in this hobby. My other hobby is speedcubing which I feel is much more practice dependent. Essentially the number of hours practiced translates into speed.
there is no ahead, and there is no behind. that is the trap we fall into when we try to make something that’s inherently artistic and expressive into a competition. we make it feel like a race, but it’s more like exploring a frontier. go to the places that make you happy, and progress in the way that’s natural for you. look for inspiration in other players, but don’t get frustrated if you don’t play like anyone. one of my favorite quotes applies perfectly to yo-yoing: “don’t follow in the footsteps of the masters. seek what they SOUGHT.”
I’m not far along this particular yo-yo path, yet. But I have learned other skills with a combination of physical and artistic components.
Comparing yourself to other people can be useful in terms of identifying a landmark you want to achieve. “I want to be able to hit that combo/mix colors like that/throw that kick.” But pacing yourself by other people is mostly a recipe for frustration. You don’t know anything about their life and circumstances, and no one that feels like commenting about you knows about yours.
If you see what someone else is doing and it makes you recognize that you’re not working as hard as you want to be/should be, then own that and move forward. Maybe you need to practice more. Maybe you need to find someone new to learn from or bounce ideas off of.
But beating yourself up, or trying to keep up with the next person won’t help. It will probably hurt.
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