Getting started with a new project is difficult and always the most uncomfortable part. It’s a matter of overcoming fear and breaking out of our comfort zone. Would you agree?

If we want our project to be successful, Josh Spector recommends that we ask ourselves 5 questions:

1. How much time and effort will you commit to the project?
2. What is your key success metric?
3. What do you want people to do when they discover your project?
4. What value will your project provide and to who?
5. What can you learn from initial feedback?

When I started working on my ‘Chilipepper Your English’ programme, I thought it had to be perfect before I launched. It took me a few months to realise that I needed very little to put it out into the world.

If you’re starting a new project now, listen to Josh Spector’s words. Don’t try to figure out every little detail. Just get the bare minimum you need to launch. And get going!

Trying to improve your grammar can be rather boring. That’s why I like Martin Samuels’ interactive Quiz42.

To get started:
1. Log in.
2. Start a new game.
3. Select ‘Take the level test’,  ‘Single player’ or ‘Multiplayer’. 
4. You’re ready to go.

If you need help, take a look at this video here.

It’s so important to pronounce names correctly.

But what can we do when we come across a name we aren’t familiar with, and we’re unable to ask the person (as this happened to me in my Instagram Live today)?

We can give pronouncenames.com or howtopronounce.com a try!

Test yourself in this quiz I discovered on welt.de to find out whether you’re making these 10 English mistakes.

“When someone is giving you feedback, they’re doing you a favor. Even if they’re breaking all the rules in this essay, even if you’re upset to hear about your mistakes, and even if you think they are wrong and you shouldn’t change your behavior, they’re giving you the gift of information you didn’t have before.”
Alex Turek

This quotation comes from an informative article I found on Alex Turek’s website on giving feedback. It includes a helpful template you might like to use when you need to give someone negative feedback. 

How do you start your online sessions?

I love to start my Chilipepper community sessions with a check-in, as it gives each group member a voice, and helps them to be present, seen and heard.

I ask a question (see below), and each member takes his/her turn to answer. One member starts and then throws an imaginary ball to another member,  or anyone chimes in when they’re ready.

Questions I might ask include:

• What’s one interesting thing you’ve been working on lately?
• How has your day been so far?
• Name one thing that brings you energy and joy.
• Do you have an interest that others in this group might not know about?
• What is something you came across recently that inspired you?
• What makes a great day for you? 

Are you looking for some inspiration? You’ll find lots of great questions here.

But perhaps you already have some wonderful check-in questions you’d be willing to share with us?