Learning rarely feels smooth from the inside. For a long time, the pieces seem disconnected. Then a new example arrives and gives an old observation somewhere to belong.
Return to the notebook
Keeping notes is partly an act of trust in your future attention. You may not know why an observation matters when you make it. Returning to it later creates another chance to find out.
Progress can look like recognising a better question.
Build a practice you can repeat
A modest routine that survives an ordinary week is often more useful than an ambitious one that needs perfect conditions. The point is repeated contact with the work, not an impressive record of effort.