It sounds like you are, to some extent, conflating "getting better" with "improving ranking". I don't care particularly much what rank I have in any given cont

It sounds like you are, to some extent, conflating "getting better" with "improving ranking". I don't care particularly much what rank I have in any given context. (For it does vary by context. My rank at OGS, KGS, DGS, and the local club varies by so many stones that I no longer remember what it is anyway.) However, I do find that I enjoy the game more and more as I get better at reading and applying strategic principles. I can start to string together more complex plans and have a deeper "hand talk" discussion with my opponent.