Learning anything good in this life is always through stages and process because life itself is all about stage, there are time we are young, time we are adults and time to die all this is all stages.

Learning any language is always seems very complicated at first most especially when it is second language and you are learning it as an adult. It will surely require a lot of commitment and consistency to get over the tiring process of the up and down you mentioned.

As you have listed it, it surely started the process and stage, Which means that it as you are advancing I'm the stages things seems to be more easier just like a kids going through a primary school education stage it always seems tiring as if the kid will actually not to over it.

Remember that consistency and commitment is the key to learning anything good. And it is always good to have people with us. That too always serve as motivation compare to just one person in the process.