I begin to notice the genius in others more, and that makes me feel like I haven't improved - so I take a record of some kind.

Pool can be frustrating. And you are right, when I notice other pool players, I feel even more frustrated that I want to accelerate the learning process. But I know there's no shorcut. I think bringing a small notebook or pool journal can help me track my progress. Like record how many balls I pot (straight shots, angle shots, etc) in a day or something.