I think this is a great question with really good responses.
Golf is difficult, no question about it. As with anything difficult, you get out what you put into it. It looks easy, a lil white ball that doesn't move, swing a club...right?
Wrong!
Let's take bowling for example. Seems easy, roll a ball down a lane and get all the pins down. Watching it on TV is like a joke because it seems so easy. Seriously though, how often will a beginner, or even an amateur, break 150 on a consistent basis? To have a consistent bowling stroke or golf swing, you need solid fundamentals and a good understand of what's going on. However, the sun shines on a dog's a$$ every once in a while and shooting an 85 or bowling a 200 can and will happen. But inconsistently. (for the record, I am a terrible bowler
).
Feel free to PM if you wish, and I can try to help steer you in obtaining a proper swing. However there will a cost if you decide to go this route, because Chingali's post stating "Golf is just one of those things where you take one step back and then two steps forward, but you have to go through all of the steps to reach your final goal" is very true. Either you'll have to commit 110% to obtaining a sound swing or stick with what you've got and work very hard on your short game.
To answer your questions:
How long did it take you to get consistent? After rebuilding my swing, it took about a year (read: 1 New England season) to get comfortable and consistent.
Did you steadily improve, or have you had experiences like mine where your game basically flatlines?? Prior to my swing rebuild, I played for 10 years with a sloppy made up swing. I certainly plateaued, and was the reason for the rebuild. With the new swing, it's infinitely easier to tweak your swing here and there and I like to think I improve everyday with practice.
Any tips for pushing through the garbage days? You clearly care about your game, otherwise prolly wouldn't have asked this question. The easy answer is to have another beer.
The proper answer would be to leave your driver in the bag. Tee off on mediocre par 4s with a 5 iron (one you are confident with) to keep the ball in the fairway. As a matter of fact, don't tee off with anything larger than your 5-wood for the rest of the round.
Good luck!