Pathways is Toastmasters International Education System. There are currently 11 different Pathways to choose from with more to likely come in the future.

Just about every Pathway starts with the same material for the first 6 projects. They revolve around an Icebreaker, implementing feedback, communication and leadership style. These projects are designed to help you better understand yourself while improving your speaking ability.

Embrace the material by reflecting on the content and how it applies to your experience in life. A good education makes you think, so don’t slack in this part of the process! You’ll never develop personally if you can’t reflect on yourself and your actions. Even if you don’t have relevant business experience, there is always regular everyday life to think about. Write down these reflections to use as content for your speech.

You will quickly learn that writing or preparing for a speech can be difficult. To that I say, remember Lesson #1: keep a positive attitude and stay disciplined in your efforts. The world would be a better place and have a lot more eloquent speakers if everyone completed at least the first 6 Pathways projects. Unfortunately many new members start out with lots of enthusiasm, but depart only after one or two speeches.

A lot of people think of Toastmasters as just a way to overcome fear of public speaking. This is an important part for many but there is much more. Part of the journey is developing the ability to consolidate your relevant personal experience into a well organized presentation. This is a very real skill that can be developed and used for better personal and business relationships. As you prepare, remember that a good speech not only ends with the audience’s applause, but the transference of your ideas into their heads. Organization is critical in achieving this!

After your speech, keep your notes written down somewhere for future reference. They make for good interview preparation talking points. They also can serve as a personal development reflection resource as life presents you with opportunities to grow.

Some will stay with Toastmasters for life while others only six months. There is no right answer for everyone. Try to complete an entire Pathways or at the very least, the first 6 projects.

Check out #4 in this series here.