Improving Your Game

Ever simply stop playing for short periods of time, due to the fact you get stuck in an opening flow you seemingly can't break from?   I know I have, I have been playing casually for 15 years, and for the longest time I could not break my rating from the 1000's.  I discovered that this was usually stemming from more responsive answers near the end of my established openings, rather than thought out clear reactions to my opp-.  This is lead me to finally begin experimenting with succsess in the realms of sacrificing peaces.  Now my rating is near 1300, and the goal to accomplish my 1300 is this weekend.  My question is this:  what are your thoughts on the needed steps that a developing chess player must take to ensure they are evolving their game? for me it was analyzing the ends of the open, going in to the middle game.  Other players may have experienced it in the mating nets, that led them to improve.  Either way I want to hear your thoughts on this