If you want durable progress, think systems over sprints. Build a low‑friction routine that compounds: small wins daily, on repeat, with tight feedback.

Principles that work

Comprehensible input: Read and listen to things you almost understand.
Deliberate practice: Target one skill at a time (particles, linking, prosody).
Spaced repetition: Keep vocabulary and kanji fresh with scheduled reviews.
Output pressure: Short, frequent speaking/writing to expose gaps.

A simple daily system (45–70 minutes)

SRS reviews (10–15m): Vocab and kanji you’ve already learned.
New language (15–20m): 2–3 grammar points with 2–3 examples each.
Reading or listening (15–20m): Grade‑appropriate; summarize in Japanese.
Output (5–15m): 3–5 sentences or 2 minutes of recorded speech.

Keep it sustainable. Most people do better at 5–6 days/week for months than 7/7 for two weeks.

Kanji without overwhelm

Learn components/radicals; group similar shapes.
Practice stroke order for a handful daily—writing anchors recognition.
Prefer short, example‑rich cards (word + sentence), not giant info dumps.

Listening that sticks

Loop short clips; shadow 1–2 lines you fully understand.
Vary speed (0.9×–1.1×) rather than jumping straight to fast content.
Note signpost words (でも、しかし、つまり) and predict the next line.

Reading that builds grammar intuition

Read aloud. Mark particles, clause boundaries, and verb endings.
After each paragraph, write one simple summary sentence in Japanese.

Tracking and momentum

Track study minutes and new items learned, not just streaks.
Keep an error log with: mistake → cause → fix → proof (new sentence).

Common pitfalls

Only doing input with zero recall practice → add SRS/output.
Memorizing grammar labels without examples → write your own.
Overloading decks with too many facts → keep cards minimal.

4‑week kickstart plan

Week 1: Setup routine and tools. Learn 10 kanji/day, 15 vocab/day. 2 grammar points/day.
Week 2: Add daily reading (15m). Shadow 1–2 lines/day. Keep error log.
Week 3: Add a weekend timed section (reading or listening). Review errors deeply.
Week 4: Raise input time (+10m). Trim leech cards; rebuild with better examples.

Weekly review ritual (45–60m)

Check study minutes, reviews completed, and accuracy.
List top 3 blockers (grammar, vocab, kanji, speed) and fixes.
Curate 10 high‑value cards from the week’s input.

Metrics that matter

Daily study minutes (target: 45–70 on study days)
Unknown words per 1,000 in your reading (aim for steady decline)
Listening first‑pass accuracy (improve trend over weeks)

How Kanji Koi helps

Adaptive SRS keeps reviews within time; reschedules around busy days.
Component breakdowns and stroke‑order animations speed kanji recognition.
Phrase‑friendly cards support collocations from your real input.
Offline mode enables short, reliable sessions anywhere.

Attach short summaries to cards you mined from reading/listening. When they resurface, you’ll remember the phrase and the scene—making retention stick.

If kanji are the bottleneck, a few minutes of guided stroke order plus spaced reps can unlock recognition and handwriting.