[...] mark the 85th anniversary of the world’s leading organization devoted to communications, we recently asked Six Minutes readers to share their stories of growth through [...]

I laid them out: Toastmasters, Work, School. Just writing down the goals with dates made me feel better. Adding a plan of what I needed to do to achieve them left me with a surprisingly calm feeling. Everything is under control. I have a plan!

I think the most important thing that came from this was directing myself, not at the end goal which can seem unnattainable, but at the interim milestone. Hey – that doesn’t look so tough. One milestone at a time still leads to the end goal. Well, at least that’s my plan.

I had expectations when I came into Toastmasters. I expected to become a better speaker and a better overall communicator. I even bought into the opportunities to improve my leadership skills. But what caught me by surprise was the personal growth. I owe thanks to Toastmasters and to my District Governor, John Lesko, for the nudge in the right direction!