It feels like I don't improve

Hi.

I like playing chess. But I don't seem to improve. I play and get up to 1300 or little above and then I fall down to 1200. I am constantly on that level.

Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But it seems more like whether I win is decided by chance and not really me showing improvement.

People recommend playing games but I feel it does not help. Is my approach wrong? Is there some step to improve above 1200-1300?

I know that I am not a good player and that losing is not unusual. But I would like to improve.

Should I read some book about chess or train a certain part of the game?

Also, what would rating 1200-1300 be in real life tournaments and ratings?

Thank you for your answers.

Ok, I took up chess 6 months ago and have improved from 800 to 1500 or so. All I really do is watch some blitz chess videos of good players on youtube, practice tactics on chesstempo (I try to get 13/15 doing 15 tactics) and watch some game analyses on youtube. Also learn a few openings to play regularly. good luck!