If time is tight, shrink the unit of work and protect the slot. Design micro‑routines you can execute without prep and track minutes, not just streaks.
3×15 plan (baseline)
- Morning: SRS reviews (10–15m)
- Commute/Lunch: listening + shadowing (10–15m)
- Evening: kanji or grammar micro‑session (10–15m)
Micro‑routines (grab‑and‑go)
- SRS: clear reviews; add 3 cards from yesterday’s reading.
- Listening: one 15–30s clip, shadow 1–2 lines, write one‑sentence summary.
- Kanji: 10 items component review; write 2–3 by hand with stroke order.
- Grammar: learn 2 points; produce 4 sentences using today’s vocabulary.
Safeguards
- Missed day? Resume normally—don’t double sessions.
- Pre‑plan on Sunday: list the week’s grammar points and reading sources.
- Keep everything one‑tap away on your phone (offline when possible).
Templates by time budget
- 20 minutes: 8m reviews, 7m listening, 5m kanji.
- 30 minutes: 10m reviews, 10m input, 10m kanji.
- 45 minutes: 10m reviews, 15m grammar, 10m input, 10m kanji.
Metrics
- Minutes studied/week (target a realistic minimum and hit it).
- New items learned (vocab/kanji) and % retained after 7 days.
- Listening first‑pass accuracy on mini‑sets.
Pitfalls
- Building routines that require setup time; keep materials cached.
- Letting reviews explode; lower new cards before they do.
- Only input, no recall; add output/SRS for durability.
How Kanji Koi fits busy schedules
- Offline SRS + stroke‑order drills support commute‑length sessions.
- Component‑grouped kanji reviews deliver high recognition gains fast.
- Collocation‑friendly cards keep phrase learning efficient.
Use Kanji Koi to attach your weekly plan to tags (e.g., Week‑37). Each day, add just a few items and let the app schedule reviews. Micro‑wins compound even on packed calendars.
Guided kanji sessions with stroke order fit perfectly into micro‑slots and build momentum fast.