Would you like to be in the 1% club? Fewer than 1% of Toastmasters achieve their DTM.
Congratulations to everyone who attained their DTM this past year, and welcome to the 1% club. If you haven’t attained your DTM and it is one of your goals, is it time to take stock of where you are on your Toastmasters journey, and what your next steps should be? Do you have a plan? What roles do you need to take to achieve your DTM? Are you willing to take one of those roles this year? Do you need to hold a district role? Now is a good time to start looking for a District role like Area Director.
If each year one step is taken toward achieving your DTM you will achieve your goal. How quickly it happens will depend on how quickly you take on the required roles. I’ve never met anyone who regrets achieving their DTM. I’ve mentioned before it took me from 1986 to 2024 to achieve my DTM. When Toastmasters no longer fit into my life I took a break and came back when it did. Of course I never thought the break would be from 1989 till 2016 but that is how life goes. Becoming a DTM won’t fit into everyone’s life, or be everyone’s goal, but if it fits into yours, and it is something you want to do then make the choices to make it happen.
The DTM signifies dedication to both speaking and leadership development within the Toastmasters program. Earning your DTM can boost your confidence, provide leadership experience, help you refine your communication skills, and open doors to new opportunities. Becoming a DTM will expand your network and looks good on a resume.
Toastmasters gives me something I don’t get anywhere else, and if I miss too many meetings I feel something is missing in my life. Is it the positive energy, the people I only meet at Toastmasters, a sense of moving forward developing skills and abilities, or a chance to hear other people’s stories and tell my own? We communicate best by telling stories, we learn from stories, and understand the world through stories.
I highly recommend the book, “The Art of the Tale” by Steven James and Tom Morrisey. No matter who our audience is we will connect with them better through stories and Steven James and Tom Morrisey will show us how.
As my term of DTM Chair ends I’ll leave with this thought. We will never get to the point that we’ve learned all we can at Toastmasters. There will always be something new to learn, skills to develop, and new levels to achieve. Most of us will see our skills deteriorate if we take too much time away from Toastmasters. Life-long learning keeps us sharp , and Toastmasters fits the bill on so many levels.
Enjoy the journey.
Thanks,
Belynda Outgoing DTM Chair, Meadowvale Toastmasters