You don't want to have to wait for the grill to heat up when everyone else is ready to eat and all the side dishes are prepared. Keep in mind that charcoal takes longer than gas to heat up. Shoot for 10 minutes of preheating with gas, 20 to 25 with charcoal. If you have a charcoal grill, there are several different ways you can start your fire. Know that when the coal is lightly ashed over and gray, you can begin cooking. Ever popular lighter fluid works, but it is imperative that you let it all burn off before cooking, unless you like the taste of petroleum. Electric starters are also available, which use a cal-rod style heating element placed under the coals. They work very well, but do require a source of electricity, and cords can present a trip/burn hazard if not carefully monitored. Chimney starters use a metal cylinder with perforations to hold the charcoal on top, and a couple of sheets of newspaper on the bottom. They work quickly and are inexpensive. Light the newsprint and the heat flows upward, igniting the coals. Have a place to put the chimney after use, as it will be red-hot. Another benefit to chimney starters is that they can be used to prepare extra charcoal if you need to refresh your pile. Just be sure to do it on top of a very heat-resistant surface, such as a cinder block or the bottom of an upturned galvanized steel bucket. Allow the bars to heat for a minute or so to be able to make nice grill marks on whatever you are grilling.

Summary: Start your fire ahead of time. Turn your grill on or light your charcoal. Close the grill.

so you can track your progress. First, define what you want to do. Then, figure out how you can measure your progress toward your goal. Finally, attach a basic time frame for achieving your goal. This will make it easier for you to measure your progress. For instance, let's say your goal is to lose weight. You might first decide you want to lose 50 pounds. You could do weekly weigh-ins to chart your progress and may set a timeline of 1 year. Similarly, you might want to start a YouTube channel. You might set a goal to post 1 new video each week. You could chart your progress by keeping track of how often you post and how many views you get. A big goal can be difficult to tackle, so go step-by-step. Identify the steps you'll need to take to accomplish your goal, then list them out in the order you need to do them. Check off each step as you complete it. As an example, let's say you want to write a novel. Your smaller steps might be to plan your story, create an outline, write a first draft, ask for feedback, make revisions, and write a second draft. If you want to re-decorate your bedroom, your smaller steps might be to pick a theme, choose colors, draw out a plan, paint your walls, buy new items, arrange your furniture, and put out the decor. It's often hard to get started, especially if you aren't sure how you'll cross the finish line. Don't worry about the end result in the beginning. Instead, just do a small action that contributes toward your goal. Set aside about 15-30 minutes to do a simple task. For instance, let's say you want to learn how to play guitar. You might spend 15 minutes reading about chords and trying to put your hands in the correct position. If your goal is to make pottery, you might spend 15 minutes learning the terms you'll need or playing around with a small ball of clay. Don't be afraid to try things that scare you! Leaving your comfort zone will help you grow and develop as a person. Make a list of new things you want to try to help you reach your goal. Then, slowly check off each thing. For instance, let's say you want to be a singer. Your list might include things like, "sing karaoke in public," "audition for a musical at the community theater," "post a singing video online," and "attend a singing workshop." Similarly, let's say your goal is to climb a mountain. Your list of challenges might include, "go indoor rock climbing," "run bleachers," and "lift weights with a trainer." It's understandable that you'd want to compare your progress to someone else's, but this usually does more harm than good. Instead, measure your progress according to the goals you've set for yourself and how you've improved over time. Try to ignore what others are doing. For instance, let's say your goal is to run a marathon. It's unfair to you to compare yourself to someone who's been running marathons for years because they've had longer to work on it. Similarly, it'd be unfair to you to compare yourself to your friend who has a thriving business, as that wasn't your goal.

Summary: Set a specific, measurable goal Break your goal down into smaller steps. Take a small, easy step to start working on your goal. Push yourself past your comfort zone. Don't compare yourself to anyone else.

Once you've figured out what words challenge you, you need to make a plan for how you will move through your list in a limited amount of time. You need to make a plan so that you can cover all of your words quickly at least 3 times. Preferably, you want to cover tougher words 4 or 5 times (or until you're comfortable with those words). Consider a few things: Your limited amount of time. Days you might be too busy to study. Periodic tests and quizzes. Extra time for extra challenging words. Find yourself a good dictionary and some websites that will help you study. Your dictionary is going to be your most important study resource, so it should be one that you are comfortable using. In addition, websites will make studying a bit more fun, and perhaps easier. Dictionaries can be bought at pretty much any book store, but make sure to get one that is recommended and/or approved by your spelling bee organization. A good dictionary will show a word's root, phonetic spelling, common usage, and even origin. Oxford is a good choice, but Merriam-Webster's is the official choice of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and many smaller spelling bee organizations also recommend it. Vocabulary.com has a very helpful word list building tool. See it at https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/vocabgrabber Take a look at Merriam-Webster's Word Central at http://www.wordcentral.com/. If you are a younger spelling bee competitor, you can play games and build your own dictionary of tough words! Make sure to get a notebook in order to store your word lists and the paper that you'll be writing on when studying. A good organized notebook with your main word list, lists of challenging words, notes, definitions, and more, will be critical to your success.
Summary: Make a plan. Get yourself a dictionary and find helpful websites. Get yourself other materials to help study and prepare.