I've met people who have been climbing for a decade or more and don't seem to be very good at it. I don't think they care much. They do it because it's fun, and because they have other things in their lives they can't spend every day doing it. Oh well .. it takes all kinds.
I've been riding mountain bikes since 1993 or so. I still suck at it. Mostly because I don't care to get better at it and hurt myself again -- that was the year I broke my ankle in a motorcycle crash and spent three months in a plaster cast. My left leg looked like a chicken's after that. Fuck the stunt riding and downhilling, I just ride for fitness and scenery and enjoyment. And after breaking my neck I've read about people who crashed their mountain bikes and became quadriplegics, unable to walk ever again.
Climbing is a little different though. Seems to me that the more precise, smooth and controlled I get, the more I flow, the better I'm going to enjoy it and the safer I'll be. When I'm leading sometimes I do think through my moves, though usually I prefer that my body sort of figures it out automagically.
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One thing I have been contemplating lately though is giving up ice climbing. My body doesn't work as well as it used to before the accident.
One problem is body temperature regulation .. I get cold easier, and if I'm not careful to keep my core warm, I get tremors in my left side muscles and sometimes the fingers of my left hand become paralyzed -- utterly unable to move, much like right after the accident. The doctors I've asked have no idea what the deal is with that .. so I try not to let that happen.
Another issue is a lack of upper body strength. I've been working around that in rock climbing by improving my footwork and over time sort of adapting the way I climb (hard to explain). I found that swinging my quarks (ice tools) really hurt my shoulders after a day, so I sold them and bought some lighter tools. Probably on really cold days when the ice is brittle I'm just going to be SOL .. better to go find a nice cup of cocoa ..
My PT friend said I should just give it time and be patient. Funny, that's what I told her about leading .. don't rush it. I hate when I have to take my own advice