New Beginnings, Small Steps, and Finding Your English Voice

January has always felt like a doorway to me. I love new beginnings. I love starting new things on Mondays, and I love the first of the month even more. My favourite time to start something new? January 1st. There's something quietly powerful about saying, "This is where I begin." So, this feels like the perfect moment to publish the very first post for the Find Your English Voice blog.

A new year, a new blog, and for many of you reading this, maybe a renewed intention to work on your English, your communication skills, or the confidence you bring to meetings, presentations, and conversations at work. If English is on your list this year, you're not alone. It’s a really popular new year’s resolution.

Why English so often appears on the New Year list

Every January, people reflect on what they want to change or improve. The lists are surprisingly consistent: get fitter, improve health, reduce stress, improve my English. For professionals, English isn't a hobby or an academic subject. It's a working tool you use in meetings, presentations, emails, interviews, and daily interactions with colleagues and clients. When it feels difficult, the impact goes far beyond language. It can affect confidence, visibility, and how fully you participate at work.

Yet despite strong intentions, most New Year goals fade quickly. Research on New Year's resolutions consistently shows high dropout rates, with most abandoned within the first few months. Motivation alone isn't enough to carry big, loosely defined goals through busy professional lives. That isn't a personal failing. It's a design problem.

What the science actually tells us about habits

I'm drawn to science and psychology because they help remove blame from the learning process. Research into habit formation shows that habits stick when they're small and clearly defined, repeated frequently, and integrated into existing routines. Large, ambitious goals often fail because they rely too heavily on sustained motivation, whereas smaller actions repeated consistently place less strain on willpower and are easier for the brain to automate over time.

This principle matters deeply for language learning. Studies in second language acquisition show that frequency of exposure and use matters more than occasional intensive study. Regular engagement helps the brain retrieve language more easily under pressure, which means that speaking little and often increases both your ability to access the English you already know and your willingness to keep using it.

Another well-established finding in language research is that output matters. Listening and reading are valuable, though progress accelerates when learners actively use the language. Speaking and writing force the brain to notice gaps, refine patterns, and strengthen retrieval. Confidence doesn't appear first and enable speaking. It grows because of speaking.

Why big English goals often backfire

Many learners set goals like "speak confidently in meetings," "stop making mistakes," or "become fluent this year." They sound motivating, though they don't tell you what to do on a Tuesday afternoon when you're tired, busy, and under pressure.

Since 2011, I've worked primarily with professionals who already use English at work. Over time, a pattern became clear: most people don't struggle because they lack vocabulary or intelligence. They struggle because certain situations trigger hesitation, like speaking up in meetings, answering unexpected questions, or presenting ideas clearly under pressure. What looks like a language problem is often about hesitation under pressure. That insight changed how I teach.

A different approach: micro-practice and identity

Instead of aiming for dramatic change, I encourage learners to start smaller than they think. Not "speak perfectly in every meeting," but ask one short question, share one idea, stay present instead of going silent.

These micro-actions matter because they shift identity. Each small act reinforces the idea that you are someone who participates, a speaker rather than just a listener. Psychological research shows that behaviour shapes identity just as much as identity shapes behaviour. When you act differently, even in small ways, your self-perception begins to change. Over time, those small actions compound into real confidence.

This is the foundation of the Find Your English Voice approach: practical, realistic practice that works with how the brain learns under pressure, not against it.

What this blog is here for

This blog will be a space where I share how I think about English learning and communication, research-informed insights without unnecessary jargon, lessons drawn from over a decade of working with professionals, and practical ways to build confidence through use rather than perfection. There won't be empty motivation here, though there will be encouragement, clarity, and an insistence on doing the work that actually leads to progress.

If you've ever felt that English holds you back more than it should, here's what I want you to know: there's nothing wrong with your English voice. You just need to trust yourself enough to use the English you know now, instead of waiting for your perfect English voice. Let's work with the one you have now and build real fluency through practice, not perfection.

If English is on your list this year, start smaller than you think. Choose actions you can repeat, not goals that exhaust you. This is the thinking behind everything I create at Find Your English Voice.

January is a good place to begin, and I'm glad you're here.