According to the book, (and also one of the more controversial aspects of the method) you are supposed to study only the shapes and meanings of the characters so as not to burden your memory while it is already working hard on completing a huge task. The claim that readings and compounds will be much easier to digest once you recognize the majority of common characters is a true one. Divide and conquer, as they say... divide and conquer.
Good luck!
I shall now throw myself into the Heisig! I've been resting in the comfort zone of hiragana and katakana for too long, I just hope that I will be able to master the seemingly arduous road ahead ... Wow, I really do need to get some rest - how many mixed metaphors can one get away with in a evening!
