Many plateau not by lack of knowledge, but by fear of sitting down and playing.You fear you're going to fail. You fear you'll get fired. You fear you won't end up on top, so you avoid. The less you engage, the less you practice, and fear continues to grow. As the ancient Chinese saying goes:
“If it’s the top you seek, then it won’t hurt you a whit if there’s a spot of dirt on your feet.”That approach helped me, it might help you too.
Have a Clear Goal
You feel it’s your mission to be 1-dan in a year or two? Then it won’t be a big deal if you happen to lose in a game of DDK or SDK. You don’t belong there anyway, you’re merely a guest.
You're getting closer if you're winning.
Lost? Be thankful for your opponent, they've merely uncovered something that was in front of you. And now you're already a step closer to your goal.
Clear intention makes it less difficult to swallow the loss. When there’s no objective, every game feels like a referendum on how you’re doing. With an objective, it’s just a step forward.
But We're Still Human
Despite having a positive outlook, we are human beings. We freeze. We make excuses. We get upset.
One trick I've used: multiple accounts.
Give a different purpose to every account: primary, test, drunk, bad day, whatever. Your ego gets spread out over multiple accounts, and it is less painful when you lose on one out of many. That allows you to keep playing.
Once in a while, I'll simply begin a game without a qualm. If I come out on top, momentum accumulates. When I end up losing, I'll power through until I've won two games in a row. That’s how I cut through the haze of indecisiveness.
Don’t Play “Puppy Go”
“Puppy Go” is playing in fear. You're either too servile, too passive, looking up at the master like a puppy.
We do it when we feel threatened. But put the goal in focus again. You’re 5-kyu against somebody, and you’re aiming for 1-dan in a year? Then in your head, you’re already 1-dan.
Would a 1-dan be afraid of a 5-kyu striking senseless attacks?
No. You’d counterattack. You’d take the lead. You’d be relentless in playing.
When you can already imagine yourself as a 1-dan in the future, then you're no longer playing as a puppy. You're playing as the player that you're becoming.
PS: I also acknowledge that there are instructors who do not want their students to have multiple accounts. But I say it is all well and good in making the process of learning smoother, faster, and less painful. But sense exists in having only 1 account. Every game matters, and so you're playing all the more carefully. But what's the point if you never really end up playing?