I made a post sometime earlier about previewing kanji the day before, but I'm not sure if that's necessary anymore...

What seems to have worked though:

Imagining myself in the image...
If I put my self in the image, and make me do something (even if it's just me walking around the place I imagined) I find I remember that kanji much better, for example pagoda, I imagined the pagoda, and then walked around the area in my mind.

What I just came upon today:
Connecting the CONNOTATION to the kanji, not the word to the kanji...
I'm pretty sure Heisig mentions this, to think of the connotation... but it's not explicit that you have to connect the connotation of the word into the kanji. The problem for me is that certain words like nativity have no personal connotation, since I am not christian and don't celebrate christmas. I think I'm going to have to look up that kanji and change the word...

Oh yeah,

Doing reviews when you are not tired and feel good.

I've noticed my retention rate is drastically better when I'm not stressing, well rested, etc.
I've also noticed that I remember new kanji best when I learn them when I'm not stressing and well rested.

Cheers!

I make sure I do my reviews first thing in the morning. Well rested, then have a cup of coffee and worth through them. I don't start adding new kanji until all the reviews are done.

The tip you said there seems obvious, but it's something that's easy to forget. I've already finished with Heisig now, but it would've been handy back then!

There are neurological reasons for this. When you think of an English word it activates parts of the language processing center of your brain that are only indirectly connected to the word's connotation. Since the more indirect these connection are, the more likely they are to be disturbed in the future, connecting a kanji to its English keyword is therefore building a bridge on a very shaky foundation. Thinking of the non-verbal connotation however takes a mental shortcut and puts in place a state of mind that is similar to that of a native Japanese person's.

I also found a good way of getting connotation is to do a search for a kanji at yamasa: http://www.yamasa.cc/members/ocjs/kanjid...3?OpenForm

and then click see words starting with kanji, or containing kanji.