I've actually tried a lot of what people said and my guard game is much better! Also rolling with just one hand or no grips is crazy fun!

I like to try new things I've been working on/learning or start from inferior positions and work my way to the top. For example, I will either start from escaping mount or side control, work to guard, and then not go for a submission until I am either on the back or mount. Another good thing to do is to "use it " as positional sparring. I was very focused on the various half guard passing options for a bit, and I found that I could get lots of reps in forcing half, passing it, holding a pin for a bit, allowing my training partner to work their way out and rinse/repeat.

Always have an inventory in your head of "projects" you are working on that month.

Beginners and smaller partners are great for more speculative techniques or things that you're not good at.

I.e. failed berimbolo on a 120 lb white belt is less risky and less dangerous to you than failing on a 230 lb brown belt

When you succeed at the technique, allow opponent to escape or reverse. Then try it again.

I'll do that! Triangles for every little person!

Man, rolling with someone you’re “better” than should be a huge part of your improvement process. That’s how you raise up your B and C game, learn new pathways, learn how to set traps, etc.

I really try to discourage myself and the people I train from thinking in terms of better or worse. So I try to approach every training partner with the same mindset:

Asking the question and actively searching for the answer: What is it that my training partner / this roll can teach me?

There is ALWAYS something.
Even if it's sometimes only attributes like their energy/ dynamic, different weight, pace, strength. There is always something you can isolate to challenge you.
If I want to progress, I regard it as my job to find it. That way you can actively take responsibility for your training but also for developing your training partners.

I think you can do something with every roll. For people smaller than me, I tend to work on transitions and keep moving. Helps my cardio and movements. For someone my size, I play defence. I will start in a defensive position I'm working or having trouble with or right in a sub, like EBI overtime.

I think you need to be challenged to grow but you can challenge yourself by allowing others the upper hand or doing something you're lacking practice in.

There was an excellent breakdown of this on Bullshido years ago, by somebody from Stockholm posting as PoleFighter. I saved it (along with a load of other threads from there) because I liked it so much:

https://web.archive.org/w[...]ost1253088

I like that a lot, Slideyfoot.