Making Strides

My walking buddy and I walked yesterday and today. We're starting slowly and building up. I think we walked more today than yesterday. I should probably wear my pedometer tomorrow so we can make sure we increase daily. If we walk the same route tomorrow, it'll be easy to tell. We ran into another coworker on the track, which was nice.

I ordered 5 Toastmaster speech manuals today so I'll be prepared to speak when the time comes. I thought I had some of them already, but I can't find them, so I start over. I have 19 speeches to give as well as some of the other projects. I'm going to HAVE to speak outside the club if I plan to be finished with my DTM by January 2013.

Goals Help Make Things Happen

About 6 months ago or so, I decided to earn the DTM designation in Toastmasters. There are several steps to earn this designation. It's hard work, but it is designed to help us grow as individuals as well as helping our club and the organization as a whole.

The first step besides working through the speech manuals is to earn the Competent Leader by going through the CL manual which has hundreds (it seems) of projects to complete. I've been working through this manual for a while, and I'm down to 8 more projects so I can get that certificate. Then, I'll be able to get the ALB designation, almost the next day. I've done so many of the things that can get me to even the next level, including 2 SpeechCrafts, Mentoring a new club. I have a couple of projects to complete that I'm actually excited about. Then, I'm on my way - 1-1/2 years, tops!

Now that I've decided what I want, I've set goals to achieve the goal. I was looking at the Competent Leader manual and saw a couple of projects that I need to take care of. A couple are completely in my control. One I'd already done, but I hadn't had anyone evaluate the project. Then, I saw a project for being a newsletter editor or a webmaster. I've done both, but rather than have someone evaluate something I did years ago, I decided to institute another newsletter. I sent an email to the officers asking them to contribute. A newsletter is a way to advertise to the membership and to market to future members. I'll set it up and send it through email immediately following our meetings every other week. This may also be a way to cut down on emails. Although I've been the one sending a lot of emails lately ;O).

To wrap this up, having the goal to achieve DTM (I made a DTM badge to motivate myself) has given me the inspiration I needed to find out what needs to be done next so I can get 'er done. Now I have to get on the schedule to speak as often as possible so I can get the next 10 speeches down as soon as possible.

Jim Rohn Inspiration

I was filing my emails when I ran across something I emailed to myself. I must have received this from Jim Rohn International at my work email and felt I'd like it at home.

http://www.success.com/lessonsonlife/landing.php

It's beautiful and very inspiring.

When the Student Is Ready, the Teacher Will Come

Jim Rohn said "When the student is ready, the teacher will come." I feel I'm experiencing that right now. I decided a little more than a year ago that I want to be a public speaker. I want to share my experiences and inspire people. Shortly after, I started the Jim Rohn International 1-year personal development plan with a friend, and I gingerly listed public speaking as one of my goals. Since then, I've had 3 opportunities to speak to different audiences. If you follow my blog, you've read about these opportunities and the awesome new mentor I have because of these experiences. He's calling me to task and evaluating my "performances" so I can improve.

I've been reading Rohn's 7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness, and I'm at the part where I have to list my goals. I received an email about 10 days ago about the 2001 World Champion Speaker Darren LaCroix visiting SA and wanting to teach toastmasters how to own the stage. Because Jim Rohn said to "attend everything," I didn't miss that opportunity. I feel it was life changing. I bought his smallest set, which included a book and several CDs. I've been listening to his CDs, and I've learned so much. Then, as I was still high from my success at a presentation on Friday, I was checking out the ads surrounding my blog last night when I saw something about learning how to do public speaking in 10 lessons for free. Well, far be it from me to not take advantage of that. (I just hope I didn't screw up my monetizing contract by clicking on one of the ads on my blog.) This ad was from Steve Siebold, and I signed up. I seem to be surrounded by angels who want me to succeed. It's incredible!

I ended up staying up really late listening to Steve and getting excited. Because his signup included questions about my motives for speaking, I made a list of topics I could speak about right now -- without having to do a lot of research

• Feng Shui
• Leadership
• Communication skills
• Website marketing
• Tweaking a newsletter or website to make it a bit more aesthetically pleasing
• Toastmasters

So, with these angels around me, LaCroix's 52 Weeks of Tips for Getting Paid to Speak; Siebold's 10 free lessons; David, my mentor; and Toastmasters, I'm on my way.

LaCroix says to have something to "sell." I'm thinking I'd offer a guide like 10 Tips to Improve Face-to-Face Communication. If I put it on my website and, as I build my speaking repertoire, add tips for the other topics I speak about to my website, I can direct people to my website for the next time I speak to either learn more about what I present to them or how to get in touch with me to speak.

I have several resources I can cite as well as experience I can share for the other topics. Anyway, I'm so excited . . .

I Did Good!

The little "talk" I had with myself Thursday morning made such a difference. I cannot believe that once I remembered that I chose to give this talk, that I want to be a public speaker, I stopped dreading the talk I was to give yesterday.

I guess the hard part was knowing I was going to be evaluated in front of the people I was trying to teach. I was so afraid I'd not remember my speech and have to use my notes. The room was set up so I was in the middle of a horseshoe. I was actually closer to being in the center of the horseshoe instead of in front. The lectern was too tall for me to use, so I was in the center, and I used my notes. My evaluator wrote in my manual a lot about using my notes and making my talk my own. He said he could tell when I was using my own thoughts and other people's words. In other words, I have to practice more so I can stand in front and say it without acting like I don't know the material.

The good thing is we left with 2 more invitations. One for next year doing the same thing we did yesterday, and another by Denise. I haven't heard what she's looking for -- a mini-Toastmasters meeting or my talk. My talk was 30 minutes. I could add more about texting, phone, letter writing, and email to increase it to 45 minutes.

I'm Pumped

The talk I had with myself this morning made such a difference. I can't believe how I easy it was to put my stress aside. Then today, I listened to Darren LaCroix again, and he said not to worry about using notes. He said the audience wants our knowledge and they aren't going to think any less of us if we use notes. It's a Toastmasters thing to speak without using notes.

I'm ready and excited about giving my talk tomorrow. I have lots to share, and it's more stage time!

One More Thing . . .

That's what keeps me going...reminding myself that after this one thing, the speech tomorrow at CSLA, I can get my life back.

I finally memorized the beginning and the end of my speech. The middle will be easy. I can't wait until tomorrow at 3:00. I'm not wishing my life away, I just want to get rid of this stress. I can't think of anything coming up that can keep me away from the personal development plan. I truly want to devote the time to it that is necessary. Since I signed up for it, I worked overtime for a week, then I worked on a book, then I published a newsletter, and now I'm preparing to give this speech.

OK, I just read the beginning of this post. I really need to rethink this speech and the accompanying stress. Is it such a bad thing? Why am I considering it something bad that I have to get past? It's actually a step in the direction I chose to go. I choose to speak about communication and leadership. I choose to build on my future. This is a step in a process. I have to practice. I really can't turn down opportunities to speak if I truly want to do something with this. I like to talk. I know a lot about communication and I'm learning a lot about leadership.

It's not like everyone will have a transcript of my speech and they'll be comparing what I say word for word. It's not like I don't know my topic so I can wing it if I lose my place. The places that I found the hardest, I can get the audience to engage. This is a learning process. I'll learn; my audience will learn. I have to remember that I'm the expert. Even if someone knows everything I say, I'll just reinforce what they know. How many times have I heard someone teach something that I've already heard? How did I react? Well, at first, I reacted by thinking I already knew it all. Then they say something that triggers something and before I know it, I'm learning something new.

It was the same way with The Secret. All during the first time I saw it, I was saying "that's true." I had already heard it all, but I hadn't heard it in the format like the video. I was fascinated, reminded, encouraged, and motivated. It was something I knew for at least 15 years, yet seeing it once more got me restarted. So it is with my talk tomorrow. Even if they've all heard it all before, I'm not saying anything that isn't true. I've peppered what I'm saying with personal experiences and examples, so it should be interesting and entertaining.

OK, so let's rephrase that. I can't wait until tomorrow at 2:00! I get to give my speech and have a bit more stage time!