I think it's great to be able to look back at your older work and view your journey to be what you are today. I have always suffered with anxiety but pushed through it to create work I have come to be proud of but at the same time knowing I have a lot of improving to do.
If you were to look through my work you would probably recognize some of my older work from the ones that are cropped as I don't really crop at all now (unless I crop for printing sizes as standard camera dimensions are odd. sometimes I do when printing....other times I do directly to the image). I try to be disciplined and keep myself from being lazy by doing as much as I can in the camera.
Also I believe its important to be innovative and push yourself outside of your comfort zone, for example: Learn video and video editing and expand the genre of photography you do. If you are more of a studio photographer try outdoors using natural light.
I don't do weddings as a rule but I still do them from time to time and I try to better myself with each one I do.
I am also going to attempt to make some photography videos and you know what? they will probably suck but as the title says "We all start somewhere" and If you persist with new things you will only get better :)
Looking at my 1st photos I've taken 10 years ago to now I would say that not only am I a different photographer, but I'm a different person by a long way. My work ethic, my passion, my will has improved, my ability to fight with anxiety and all of it has come from just trying to improve even a little where I can.
If I was to give advice to photographers just starting out it would be , DO EVERYTHING.. Knowledge is the most important thing there is. I also suffer with a bad memory so I will always be relearning things I've forgotten, so keep learning and re-learn if you have to. I started out wanting to take landscape photos like Ansell Adams but ended up loving portraits and without that thirst for knowledge I would never have learned what my real passion would be.
Also here is a request for when you become good at your craft, never discourage or look down on people that don't have the same skill as you do, give them a hand and support them as much as you can especially if they are asking for help. If I can share what I've learned with people then everyone wins and so does the industry. In short..Just be nice.
Mark