How long takes a path?

I was very surprised, when someone posted on a Facebook Group, that he finished 11 path in only 1 year! He did tell that he is in many clubs, President of one, VPE of two others, he visited 78 clubs and many countries ! Still, it seems too fast.

Yes, I did at all my time Toastmaster and Pathways for the last two years now, and was also at some time in many clubs. Most of them, Online and only one lately "brick and mortar" near me. 

Yes, I was member in the seven years from 2009 to 2016 December, I got 14 awards in the "old education", went once from CC (first year) to DTM, then again to Advanced communicator Gold. 

Yes, from May 2007 in 2 years only, I got more then 33 Pathways awards, one after other, at the beginning my Remote access clubs declared the awards Great Communicators and DTM Masters and later Yakina Toastmasters, because they were already "IN" pathways, (the forth I attended refused any awards) but I did speak in at least 9 different clubs the first year then in many more, as Pathways Ambassador and then as Pathways Guide. At some time, I was paid member of 7 clubs, too much for my budget. 

I did go down to "only" three clubs paid member, but it is raising again. 

From 1st April, it will be four, paid them already, and soon probably more, because one of clubs I visit ofter is ready to charter. 

It takes a lot of energy, to assist even from home, to online clubs, or remote access clubs, be in the committee, help with tasks of course, not only speak when one of my stories is ready, one of projects completed. 

I finished Visionary Communication path, my first, in 7 month. 

Effective Coaching, begun at almost same time, with it's High Performance Leadership took a year. I am still proud of the High Performance Leadership Project, that first annoyed me, then I was proud of it. I succeeded to have my online club members begin Pathways, 100% before even it arrived to our district. And many of them become Pathways Guides - that one is not my doing, even it knowing more about Path may have helped them.

The fastest path for me was the Leadership Development, in 5 month, as we were preparing a storytelling festival with a team, and the personal storytelling Theme that went through all the path, was very familiar to me already. We had a fixed date, when the festival had to take place, and after, it was the Lessons Learned, and Reflect on only. I did not declare this path, till the Pathways arrived to my London District, a few month later.  

Of course, once you understand how Pathways, Levels, Projects work, it take less time to worry about them. The first steps take more courage and perseverance, and pals to help when needed. Still, even later, each Project is a new discovery, a new experience. 

A new reflexion on what went on, what I learned, and from what went less well, how I can do best next time. Discovery of a project already done takes less, but doing it better, differently does consume not only energy but time.

Rushing them, would take out from their value for me. 

in the Motivation Strategy path in which I decided to do every project, every elective not only the minimum, so I go as slow as this decision asks. Level 3 Electives where interesting, and indeed I did all of them (minus the new one added from February about Humour, where I have to go back to do), but the Level 4 paths do take a lot of time, most of them do now. 

Learning new skills is not enough, one has to "do". One hour long podcast and regular podcasts I let for the moment on the side, after understanding how I could do, they have to be done and energy spend on them, to do them well.

One month long blogging, it is the third time I do this project. I am almost there for this 3rd time, one month blogging in a new blog with pictures, finished tomorrow! Instead of 8 I blogged every day again, so it will be 30 posts. I will not stop, of course, so many more pictures to show and speak about! As they were not looked a lot, I have to discover yet, what social media to use, where to publish about that blog, the shoot and tell stories about the pictures. Where could I find new people to come to my blog. 

That will be of course, also a new Project, about Social Media, about Networking. 

Sometimes, I do feel the rush to go, read, discover, but then comes the awareness, that it takes time to experiment  repeat, learn a new skill. Reflect on the results and act on what discovered. A craft takes patience and time, energy and understanding.