We should start a new group on UU "Great Ukes, Talent Not So Much". Seriously, I have had so many setbacks in the form of unexpected hard ass moves to a high rent district because of job location and roommates from hell, physical chronic pain, work that leaves my fingers too sore to touch a string sometimes, on and off, but I will still play my ukes and I am BETTER THAN WHEN I STARTED!
I can pick better, know more chords, changes are smooth maybe 3-4 times in a row, I'm reading and playing tabs, I love the snot out of my ukes and I am not on anyone's timetable but my own. I'm getting to where I can piece some things together, connect more dots, hear other music better i.e. pick out some of the technique and recognize progressions. It's a ton of stuff to learn, it's easy if you just want to learn a few chords and strums and that is fun, but to go deeper takes effort and that means regular practice. I have not had that, I have gone months in between times of semi-regular practice.
Everyone chill, appreciate that you have the opportunity to make progress and know you are going to both plateau for awhile and even backslide, but then things move forward again and sometimes in great leaps!
I am coming up on two years, I have a few awesome ukes, they make me grin, even the little orange burst Makala Dolphin bridge I just got, I'm tickled silly with it, it was an early anniversary gift and it has crap strings but I can feel and hear the potential. I am going to try Fremont Blacklines because I like the black strings, and it will be very nice. It went on a trip and it was good for me to have it to chill out with for a bit.
Don't anyone here judge yourself by other's ability. Do what you can do right now, keep doing it, utilize all the great resources available here to get new teaching and keep plugging, but above all just remember to enjoy what you CAN do. It is not a race. Sometimes things need to marinate awhile. And nothing is wrong with having a nice uke. If it pleases your ears that itself is the reward, and it will tempt you to practice more often.
Banish all critical inner voices (which usually come from perfectionistic or just plain rotten parents etc.. That voice is NOT "you"!). YOU are a perfect child of God. Everyone is, we just forget or are led to believe otherwise.