New Year, New Goals

With a new year upon us, it is easy to get swept up in lofty resolutions we make year after year. We get overwhelmed when we have so many goals in front of us, yet hopeful with the prospect of a clean slate when the clock strikes midnight.. With those goals, we also have to have a plan in place in order to see forward movement on those goals. Imagine deciding that you want to go on a trip with your family, yet you do nothing in advance to prepare for the trip. On the first day of travel, you begin driving aimlessly, unsure of your destination or where you will end up. This will likely result in a lot of wasted time and money as well as endless amounts of frustration because no preparations were made in advance.

Before we know it, we will be halfway through 2019, wondering where the time has gone. In order to avoid looking back on the year is disbelief and disappointment, much like an unplanned vacation, begin to set your expectations now and make a plan in order to reach your goals. You can do that by:

Visualizing what you want. Ashley Rifkin of Talk of Monmouth advanced club finished her HPL project back in April. She taught a mindfulness workshop, asking attendees what they desired in life. The usual answers came up-a house, a car, or a job promotion. In turn, Ashley asked why that is what they wanted. The why is typically what helps us be able to see what we want more clearly. Most Toastmasters have the end goal of earning a DTM, but why do you want that? For me, I want to become better about displaying quality leadership and communication as well as time management, which means achieving a difficult goal in a short period. Right now, that goal is not a DTM, but to earn the triple crown working in both Pathways and traditional learning programs. I visualized delivering speeches that would allow me to present on the things I’m passionate about and connect with my audience. That meant completing the projects in my advanced manuals as well as the ones in my chosen path. The Triple Crown-achieving three educational awards in one Toastmasters year-is an excellent way to execute the speeches I want to focus on while still giving myself a concrete deadline to meet for better time management. Your goals won’t always look the same as your neighbor’s.

Breaking down your goals in small increments. Once I knew what I wanted, I made a detailed plan. I gave myself a timeline so I could be mindful of how frequently I should be speaking and when I should begin to plan for my larger leadership projects. For example, I am a member of two clubs and in 2019, I am aiming to deliver one speech per month. In addition, I have a timeline detailing when I plan to complete each level or educational achievement. This is especially important if your goal is particularly time sensitive. One resource that helped me plan was District 17’s website with all of the paths and projects listed, courtesy of Bill Atkins of Talk of Monmouth: https://toastmastersd17.org/resources/pathways/paths-projects/. While I don’t expect to earn my DTM until 2022, just knowing what my goal is for this year, this quarter, or even this month, makes it all the more realistic and exciting to think about. This leads me to my last point.

Be realistic. One speech per month is realistic for me with my lifestyle, the number of clubs I am part of, and factoring in all of my other commitments. For you, you may want to aim for one speech every two to three months. As long as you have a plan in place and can see the finish line (even if it is 5-6 years from now!), you know what you have to do to move one step closer with every role you sign up for. The problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they are often declared without any preparation or consideration of what is doable given the season in your life. If you just had a child, are going through a divorce, or have recently taken on more responsibilities at work, be kind to yourself and be realistic about what you can do. The best part of your 2019 plan is that it can be adjusted at any time as needed.

As you begin to think about your goals and plans for 2019, jot them down and write out some bullet points on how you will execute them. In the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Happy New Year, District 83!

Toastmasters for the Next Generation

The infancy of Pathways has evoked an array of emotions from my fellow Toastmasters. Throughout the district, I have seen everything from enthusiasm, resulting in some of my fellow members becoming Pathways Guides before the launch to outright declarations of protest. As a Vice President of Membership, I have seen Toastmasters not renew their membership because of their claim that Pathways “has nothing to offer me.”

With a change as big as Pathways being rolled out to an organization of over 94 years, it is easy to see its flaws and even participate in regular debates around the subject as we learn more with each passing month. As we move forward with these changes, I want to challenge my fellow Toastmasters to be mindful of how we discuss both the growing pains and excitement— particularly, in front of newer Toastmasters who may have never been acquainted with the traditional educational program. From time to time, I have noticed newer members who attend a district workshop or conference with excitement over all of the new skills they will learn become deflated when they overhear occasional grumbles and complaints about the only program they have to pursue, Pathways.

It is our job as tenured Toastmasters to encourage our newer members, especially the more apprehensive ones, to lean in and attack their goals at meetings. The best way to do that is through leading by example, even when it means stepping out of our comfort zone. It all comes back to the Toastmasters core values when we look at the big picture. We should embrace Pathways for our newer members or, “Toastmasters of the next generation” as I like to call them, in order to:

  • Uphold the Integrity of Toastmasters. Our mission and member’s goal are still the same; there may just be more than one way to get there now.
  • Continue a culture of Respect for our fellow Toastmasters who are working hard to provide the resources we need to make Pathways a success in our district.
  • Be of Service to others. More knowledge leads to more opportunities to mentor, teach, and share what you know.
  • Claim our own Excellence. Starting a new learning path does not erase your hard work or skills you have claimed so far in your Toastmasters journey.

Maintain the Integrity of Our Mission to Become Better Leaders and Communicators

A newer member of my home club approached me one evening asking some questions about Pathways. Instead of stumbling through them, half-uncertain, I invited her to come with me to a Pathways workshop being held that Saturday.

Not only did this learning session help this new member get started with her first speech (she will give her second in the next few weeks!), but it also helped the Toastmasters hosting the session with their leadership development. It helped me become more familiar with the resources available to us through Pathways. It gave me more information I needed to lead with confidence, even if it is just in a low-key mentorship relationship for right now.

Toastmasters maintains its integrity by delivering what it promised to from the start, so I challenge you to consider what your goals are in being part of Toastmasters. Does it have to do with communication? Leadership? If so, you’re still in the right place. There is just more than one way to get there now.

Respect the Process of Change and Those Who Work Hard to Smooth the Transition

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on all of the changes going on around us. While we have these discussions and share those opinions, it is important to remember that we have new members to consider those who aren’t tainted by the memories of “how things used to be.” It is easy to play the critic when we have something to compare it to.

Our District 83 Pathways Guides, officers, and directors working hard to educate us on these changes and answer the endless stream of questions. While the changes may be difficult for us, it is important to show respect for those looking to smooth the way, especially with a transition period as long as two years between the rollout and the retirement of the traditional program. Would you complain loudly and proudly if your boss was leading you through a change at work with grace and strong leadership? Probably not. The best thing we can do is be grateful for the wealth of resources we have available to us and use them to our advantage.

Embrace Change Because it’s Showing Service to Others

The topic of change reminds me of my first job out of a graduate school. As a licensing specialist at a large software/hardware reseller, it was my job to learn about seemingly arbitrary licensing rules and relay that information to sales reps. Just as I was getting the hang of these licensing rules and felt confident in my skills, our software partner decided to change the entire licensing structure. We would have a grace period of about two years to smooth the transition for customers, which required a lot of extra knowledge around both licensing structures and how they would work together. Sounds familiar?

Around the same time, I was asked to train a new team member. In a situation that would normally leave me feeling in over my head, I found myself feeling grateful for the opportunity. Learning alongside my trainee and finding answers to questions that had not come yet were all rich learning opportunities for me. Furthermore, I mindfully kept any complaints about all of the changes away from his training to set a professional and positive tone for the work we had to get done.

Pathways aren’t very different! To embrace Pathways does not mean you have to quit the traditional path right away. You can work in both the traditional and Pathways curriculum at the same time during the grace period. It’s all about baby steps. Consider hosting an Icebreaker night for your club, dedicated to speakers knocking out the first speech in their path. A gesture like this could be just what your club needs to get some speakers started in their Toastmasters journey. By setting aside this time for your club, you could be providing a great service to speakers who haven’t been able to get a speaking slot since joining Toastmasters.

Excellence

Finally, being a Toastmaster means we exude excellence in everything we do. Doing an Icebreaker and starting a new learning curriculum, even after earning multiple advanced awards, will not undo the skills you have gained so far. If anything, going back to the basics is a chance to see how far you have come in your skills.

My very first Icebreaker two and a half years ago was a pretty standard one that consisted of me naming off a laundry list of things about myself for several minutes. My Icebreaker just a few months ago for Pathways consisted of me skipping around the room, wrapping a feather boa around a fellow Toastmaster, and handing out party noisemakers, delivering a speech about my independent spirit and how that fit into preparing for my upcoming marriage. The feedback I received and creative risks I took all made the Icebreaker a worthwhile (and fun!) project. We all have something to learn from any speech we deliver. Our excellence will remain the same as we do it.

I encourage you to revisit the core values of Toastmasters and consider what they mean to you as you examine your goals for 2019. Write them out. Ask your fellow Toastmasters how you can help them reach their goals. Pathways is an opportunity for all of us to embrace integrity, respect, service, and excellence in our speaking journey. Join me in leading the way for Toastmasters of the next generation.