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Milestone: An
important event or turning point in one's history or career. Stepping Stone: An advantageous position for advancement
toward some goal; something that assists an ambition. Great marathon runners started the same way we
all did. As infants they crawled
before they walked. They rose, teetered and fell, then rose again and steadied
themselves on an object. Once they
could stand in place, the view changed, as did their perspective. A new goal was
established…standing without props. Once this was achieved, they started
to ambulate. They fell. They struggled back to their feet, and
tried again. They had the confidence and hunger to set new goals…and thus
they walked. Then they realized they could see more if they picked up the
pace. They set a new goal and thus
they began to run. Then it became
a question of whether they were going to be held back by others' limits or test
their own limits of endurance and stamina. Dream…goal…try…fail…retry…milestone…new
goal… failure…retry…success And so it goes, seemingly unreachable milestones
are achieved, and thus become stepping stones to further achievements. Whatever our goals, the formula can
work for us as well. Step-Aerobics!It all starts with a dream. You dare to imagine doing something,
going someplace, becoming someone, and making a difference. Without the aspiration nothing can
happen. Yet how far do you
get? Do you allow setbacks to slow
or stop you? Do you lose
confidence? Lose momentum? Lose
faith? Many do. A marathon runner knows that theirs is
a long race broken into many little races. Marathoners also know that sooner of later they will hit
"the wall." Their
ability to continue on is the key to their success. The wall is something to be overcome. It is not a stopping point, but simply
another milestone along the way.
They step over it, using it instead as a stepping stone to ultimate
success. Step One: Goal SettingThe best way to achieve milestones is to have them
in your sights from the beginning.
We can do this through setting goals. As children our parents and teachers set goals for us. Yet
since our youth we've set goals for ourselves too. In Toastmasters we set goals upon joining. Why did you join? Was it to acquire a new skill? To
overcome an old phobia? Was it a
personal challenge? Did your boss
send you? Whatever the reason for
joining, you arrived with at least one goal. Perhaps you set new ones once you filled out your member
profile, met with a mentor and learned about the many programs Toastmasters
offered. Your club's educational vice president may also
have set goals for you, in concert with your own goals. EVPs know the curricula
and know how to help you turn your aspirations into achievements. Common goals could include the ability
to make a speech at work, to be perceived as a strong communicator in the
office, to gain confidence meeting and conversing with strangers at social
gatherings, or other goals as well. Our goals help us become focused and give us
purpose. Each goal we set can be
pursued, and once achieved, itself becomes a milestone. It then becomes a stepping stone to
further accomplishment. Step Two: Getting StartedAccording to the great American novelist Mark
Twain: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things
that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." We've heard so often how a journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step.
Once we make that initial step, we're on our way, however far we must
go. When you think about it, attending
your first meeting is a milestone.
You might scoff at the notion that just showing up at a meeting is a
milestone. Yet for many people,
fear overrides their ability to do even the simplest of tasks. Lack of confidence will keep people
from socializing, exploring new environs and meeting new people. Your gracious
welcoming of such strangers opens the door to their future success. Speaking for the first time from the lectern is
another milestone. When a new
member joins a club, he or she is shepherded in and carefully nurtured. They often are given a simpler
assignment for their first role, so they can experience success, get their legs
under them, and not taste defeat in their initial time out. Wasn’t that
your experience? Step Three: Gaining MomentumEvery new year we announce with excitement our
new resolutions. Within the month many of them have fallen by the wayside. Our intentions were good, yet our
resolve was not firm. With every
milestone we pursue, some days we'll make discernable progress, other days we
won't. Sometimes the milestones
require weeks, months or even years of effort to realize. For club officers, it’s the
pursuit of distinguished club status, for governors, it’s a Distinguished
Area, Division or District . For some speakers, the status of Accredited Speaker
is your ultimate goal. None of these can be achieved overnight. The key, then, is maintaining
resolve. We must keep our goals in
sight at all times, and endeavor to make progress every day, every week and
every month. An object in motion
will stay in motion. An object at rest will remain so. So…get moving!
Inertia is what it’s all about.
Step Four: PerseverenceBut how do we keep the momentum going? How to we persevere? The secret comes
from maintaining focus. In our clubs we look to fellow club members to help
keep us focused. We make contracts
with our club’s Educational Vice President to pursue and achieve certain
goals by the end of term or end of year.
At work and at home, we often write our goals down and then post them in
visible places is a constant reminder of the milestones we’re pursuing.
For some, “going public” is a way of leveraging a bit of friendly
peer pressure from our supporters to help us maintain focus. No doubt the
recognition and support we receive along the way also helps us persevere. And as we near our milestone a new form
of motivation occurs as we see, sense and smell the finish line. Step Five: SuccessWith the finish line in sight we plan our last
triumphant steps. Sometimes we
sprint for the finish line, and dash we do, crossing the line of our
self-defined goals, achieving our milestone. And then what?
We take our bows, triumphantly accept the congratulations of others, and
graciously bask in the recognition given by others. And yet, this success is not the final chapter at all. Success is just another weigh station.
The great college basketball coach John Wooden put it well: “If you go as
far as you can see, you will then see enough to go even farther.” Step Six: A New PerspectiveAs we survey the new heights we’ve
attained, the view is discernibly different. Suddenly we see new mountaintops, new peaks, new
possibilities. With our newfound
confidence, what once seemed unattainable now is a fait accomplit. We did it.
And now new challenges await. Our once high milestone is now firmly underfoot.
Now we use it as a perch to step even higher. We can turn our latest milestone into a stepping stone to
further greatness. With our CTM achieved, we set out to master new forms of
communication on our way to our ATM.
Having served one role in the club we volunteer for new and often
greater responsibilities. The greater the challenge the more satisfying the
accomplishment. The greater the
milestone the more powerful the steppingstone it becomes to ultimate success. Runners…On Your MarksWhat goals have you set for yourself? What milestones are you pursuing? Have
you gone public with your aspirations? Poet Thomas Carlyle said it best: "The block of
granite which was an obstacle in the path of the weak, becomes a steppingstone
in the path of the strong.” Step forth boldly!
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© Copyright 2002 Craig Harrison. All
Rights Reserved.
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