I'm going to be flat out honest with you. It will always BE frustrating. All you can do is embrace it and use it to push yourself more.
I've been skating over a span of 10 years. I started at 12, quit at 15, started back up again at 21 and at 23 am just now getting ready for competitions. I'm no where NEAR the level of some of my friends, but it makes it fun because they're encouraging (and they're 14 and 15!). All those pros have been right where you are now at some point in their lives, they didn't come out of the womb with blades on their feet (that would hurt
) and they've all had that frustration. I'm sure at some point in your ballerina career (which btw I'm jealous of) you had frustrations, too, like not being able to do a certain number of pirouettes or your arabesque wasn't as high as you wanted it. Think of how you pushed through that.
Which brings me to another thing, you're not going to progress all that much without lessons. Trust me on that. I skated for a little over a year at my rink before I took up learn to skate to refresh my basics (and passed the highest level I could in it) before I switched to privates with that coach. Before that I was spinning but wasn't progressing, it wasn't until she came and introduced herself and suggested I try doing something different that I realized I REALLY wanted lessons. She pushes me hard and is VERY encouraging and makes sure I don't get discouraged. If she sees me struggling with something, she'll have me do it a few times, then switch to something else so I feel like I accomplished something and don't come out of my lesson frustrated.
If you can start with learn to skate, a lot of pros began there, learn everything you can and make the most out of your sessions. Make friends with some of the people around the rink, ask advice. I'm not a coach but I've had girls I know come up to me and ask me to just demonstrate a move that they're having trouble visualizing, or girls I know who train with my coach I will help every now and then, even if it's just to offer moral support.
My coach is cool with it because we all learn the same technique.
Until that point though that you're in lessons you need to not get discouraged. Figure skating is a hard sport. Heck, my goal is to get to my senior levels before I'm 30. Will that happen? No idea, I'm taking it one step at a time. I'm testing bronze in a few months and hope to learn my axel before the end of this year (coach is aware of that which is why she's pushing me harder now). Set goals for yourself.
I am aiming to compete in the Florida Open in April, and hopefully pass my bronze levels before that. I'm very close at this point and it's just tidying up some moves and feeling more confident on my edges.
What skates are you using? Have you invested in a decent pair? Sometimes the pro shop sells used skates that are still in great condition (my first pair were used, $50 and lasted me until I started doing waltz jumps, and the skates I got after that have lasted me 9 years, . it's only now because my feet have shrunk that I need new skates). But good skates will make a TREMENDOUS difference. And make sure you get them sharpened, too.
I hope this helped! PM me if you have any questions or just want encouragement, I'm good at that.
Also, if you ever want to see how lessons can help progression, I keep a youtube account with videos of me skating. I've not updated recently because there's been little munchkins on the ice and I don't trust my camera out there with them.... but the link is:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ShaunananaLynnMakeup?feature=mhum