For me, i think I got tired of just reading about stuff, and wanted to become "practicing". So I took up doing ritual. I love it, I must say. And i know that one way to really grow is thru pathworking. But I suppose it can be done "blind"....sort of feeling my way thru it. The Qabalistic method is especially effective, I find, having tried it against other methods....and, needing to really focus on a path, that's become it for me. But so much of the work on the paths is with IMAGERY. But maybe I'm wrong about this, too. I mean there's all kinds of correspondences like stones, scents, pitches, names, etc. Someone said I needed to get out of my own way. I sort of see that being so.
As far as wanting to concentrate things or make them go faster, well, I'm only gonna unfold as fast as I'll unfold.
I think in today's world, we get so used to things happening faster. Back in the day, it used to take months/years for someone to get hold of ONE decent book on a subject, or find a school or teacher. Now, we can have all the "classics" on our shelf and read in no time! But that ain't gonna make the ol' flower bloom any faster than before, you know?
You know, I started w Qabalah about 20 years ago, and because of circumstances, I put it away for about 10 years. But it kept working in me. I'd often find myself reflecting on the tree... like it wouldn't stop growing within me even though I wasn't "doing it". It was "doing me" as it were. So, now, coming back to all this a year ago, and beginning to read and study more, I find myself further along, and understanding things a lot better.