Good work! Though that last part definitely does sound frustrating. I remember having dreams where I've told DCs I'm dreaming or that I'm lucid, without actually becoming lucid. Really makes you want to slap yourself in the morning.

As for the RCs, read over your last few dreams or the dreams you've recorded so far this month and see if you can extrapolate a common theme, object, person or event. If you can recognize that catalyst it might be easier to recognize it in a dream more than reality checks.