For being serious in PvP you gotta have rank 3 in a bunch of essences + the right corruptions. For being serious in PvE it's the same story different corruptions/essences.
I wanna take the game seriously but truth is the game encourages me to not take the game seriously, asks me to farm some mounts and transmogs, and then do my weekly stuff.
Don't bother doing LFR, rewarded ilvl sucks. Don't bother doing Normal mode, rewarded ilvl sucks. Don't bother doing Heroic, you can't link experience to join them. Don't do Mythic, you don't have the right corruptions/essences. Don't do PvP, you don't have the right corruptions/essences. Forget about doing M+ your RIO rating sucks ass.
Remember to forget about doing your visions if you want to play a healer.
Stick to doing your emmesarries and maybe a weekly +15 chest. Then stop playing. That's what it feels like.
How do you guys break that cycle? You find a Heroic raidnig guild that is willing to carry you or what?