Rosary meditation difficulty?

As a Roman Catholic, for the past three years I have tried to pray the Rosary every day during Lent. This year, however, I haven't been as devout in my prayer and have only been praying it daily for the past week. Whenever I begin these periods of "meditation" I always hope that it will inspire me to continue the practice past the Lenten season, but it never does. I think the problem is with the whole concept of meditating on the mysteries of Christ and Mary. I guess I just don't understand what it means to "meditate" on a series of prayers. Whenever I pray the Rosary I find myself focusing on the words of the prayers, not the mysteries that each decade is supposed to represent. How is it that one can pray and meditate at the same time? My understanding of meditation has always been to clear/calm your mind to invite a state of introspection. I guess I just find it hard to clear my mind while internally reciting the words of the prayers. Here's an example: during Lent you are supposed to meditate on the Sorrowful mysteries of Christ daily until Easter Sunday. The Scourging of Christ at the Pillar paints a clear image in my mind of Christ's suffering and invokes a deep emotional response of remorse for my own sins whenever I think about it. The problem is that when reciting the prayers, I can't picture the same images of Christ's suffering while saying the words. It's like my mind can only focus on one or the other, so I either say the prayers or think about His suffering. I'm just wondering if anyone can provide any insight as to how to achieve both. I have tried to look-up information on the topic and most people seem to mention keeping the prayers in the back of your mind while you focus on the particular mystery. I keep trying to do this, but it seems almost impossible. Do I just need to patiently keep trying, or is there something I'm missing? I would appreciate any feedback anyone can provide.