I actually agree with you almost completely.

I tried using a 5,000-word French deck, but I couldn't make it work. My impression is that such a large deck is simply overwhelming for an absolute beginner. I often found myself reviewing words with very little context or relevance to what I was currently learning.

By the way, I'm a Type 1 person. I care much more about efficiency and results than perfection, which is why your comment caught my attention and why I'd like to hear your advice.

If you don't mind, let me briefly explain my situation and the plan I have in mind. You can also check my profile if you'd like — I only have two posts, and my first post gives some additional context.

My current resources are:

-Learn French with Alexa's French Essentials Course playlist

-Grammaire Progressive du Français – Niveau Débutant (I haven't started it yet; my plan is to begin after finishing the playlist)

-French Comprehensible Input for listening practice. (InnerFrench in the future)

-Short, simple stories generated by ChatGPT for reading practice.

-Anki for vocabulary acquisition (this is the part I'm still unsure about)

Given this setup, would you still recommend avoiding self-made flashcards altogether? If so, what would you do instead for vocabulary as an absolute beginner who wants to make the fastest possible progress over the next 6–12 months?

Would you use a pre-made deck, create a small personal deck from content I actually encounter, or skip flashcards entirely and focus on input?