I have a couple answers, one you might not like...why? I didn't like it when it was given to me.
1) If you can't beat the micro limits with bad players....how you going to beat the higher limits with just as many bad players + a few sharks.
I got this answer from a full time $30/$60 player playing at Party Poker. I had grown to respect him through his posts at another forum and it still pissed me off to here it. I packed that advice away and sought out "better" advice. Come to find out he was right. (duh!)
I started out .25/.50 and now at $3/$6. They key is knowing your opponents and reading what they may have no matter how dumb you think that hand might be. You can read the bad beat section and find guys are playing any two cards at every level. (Ex. AA and I 3 bet flop ($3/$6) - 4 saw flop of J8x no draws. I two bet flop. End up heads up. He calls 3 bets cold on pre-flop, two bets cold on flop calls to river with 89o and rivers a 9 to beat me.)
There is no substitute for experience, so get it cheap!
2) I moved up when I beat a level. When did I beat it? 10,000 hands, + 2 BB/HR over that span and 300 BB's for the next level. I made myself hit all three at once. The +2 BB/HR I may have to come down to 1 as I move up stakes but is very attainable at the mircro limits.