[WesternInk]

I think one issue is that you set standards that were too high. I would say that becoming proficient within one year, assuming that you are learning solely from books and not immersion, is probably wishful thinking. If you don't mind me asking, is learning Japanese essential to what you want to do in the future? Because from the tone of your post, it seems like you find studying Japanese to be a chore now, and not something you enjoy doing anymore. =\