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Shooting is like any other performance activity - it takes practice to get good. Like the old saying goes, "the more I practice, the luckier I get." Practice also provides a better payoff when it is positive.

There is no shame in "starting close" when you are learning to shoot. Shooting at a three inch dot from three yards away sounds easy.
It is easy.
It's easy unless you can't keep all of your rounds well inside of the three inch dot. If you cant keep five rounds in a three inch dot at three yards, hitting the x-ring of a 25 yard slow-fire bull target will be damn near impossible.

Try "warming up" by shooting 5-10 well aimed shots at the 3-5 yard line. Shoot as SLOW as you need to shoot to put a shot group completely inside the black dot. Then move back to the 5-7 yard line and work on keeping a shot group in the black. Shooting at a little target is the best way to tighten your shot groups - "aim small, miss small"

The fundamentals are the same no matter WHAT range you are at. If you practice at a range that is overly taxing your command of the fundamentals, your shot group will look like it came from an old 10-gauge goose gun...
...and you will get frustrated and lose focus.

If your command of the fundamentals only reaches out to the 3 yard line then practice at the three yard line for awhile. Practicing at 15-20-25 yards away wont help much if you aren't hitting anything. A tight shot group at 3-5 yards will boost your confidence and keep you in a positive mood as you start moving back to greater distances.

Just don't fall into the trap of training "too close" - you still need to stretch it out or you will ever get any better than a 3-inch group at 5 yards.