Hey guys, 6th-year learner here (though it's hard to say 6) and I've hit this sort of crossroads recently with Japanese that I'm looking for some advice on how to handle. So for starters, a 10-second breakdown of where I'm at:

• Spent 2 years of dedicated academic study, cleared Genki 1 and 2
• Sat on my ass for 3 years, forgot a lot but always tried to be consuming something Japanese/doing cursory or low-effort reviews
• Started WaniKani January 1st of this year, reached Level 10 not a few days ago

I'm really pleased with reaching level 10, finishing that will be an awesome milestone and I'm shocked at how it has changed my perception of Kanji. That said, I've been thinking for a while that it's time to start adding more to the mix, and I have a good idea of where to go but I'm struggling to want to break out of the starting gate if you catch my drift. For the next steps I plan on going through one or more of the following:

• Tae Kim's Grammar Guide
• An untranslated VN
• The Tofugu Guide to Particles

I feel like I've done a good enough job with consistency on WaniKani so far, and I suppose to that fact I've grown comfortable doing WaniKani, and so adding more "homework" so to speak to the mix is a bit discouraging. So my question is - is there any advice you can give on pushing forward, studying more, and being consistent with it? How have your experiences been similar/different? What were some other roadblocks you encountered, and how did you overcome them? Are there any tips or tricks to make these more tedious resources an easier pill to swallow? Most importantly of all, what made you stay motivated when things got more difficult? Thanks in advance for any help or advice.