Cycle 2 Goals

I've noticed a worrying trend with my speaking and listening; I can't keep up. I feel that there are three primary explanations and causes for this.
First, I don't know the vocabulary as well as I must. I have dropped a class, as in the first half the the semester I was truly swallowed by work. This will hopefully free up enough time on a nightly basis for me to put in at least 15-20 minutes each and every day with my flashcards, going over both current and historical vocabulary lists. This increased familiarity should allow me easier access of words when I'm forming sentences and quicker comprehension when listening.
Second, my grammer skills are weak when I speak. I skip and miss a fair portion of my particles, and my understanding of tenses is still shaky. I will aim to resolve this problem in coordination with the steps below.
Third, I often find myself saying things I don't mean to, and, when I can't find the right word, spouting nonsense. For example, in class today I was describing the house from Totoro. My response: "にほんじん." I was attempting to expound that the house was of Japanese variety, not say "Japanese person." (あのうちはにほんのうちです) I know how to say things, yet I stumble. The only suggestion I can make is to speak more often. In addition to reading my textbook, then, I must also set aside time (~1 hour per week) to simply talk to myself, out loud. I don't feel that shadowing is my best activity for this. My focus here is more fundamental than pronunciation, pitch, rhythm, etc. First, I need to be able to say what I mean.
じゃ、また。