The Evergreen Journal #15 

Bring the Future into the Present

 

–Goals bring the future into the present, and the present is the only time we can take action. Setting goals makes it possible to do something today to create the future you want. Zig Ziglar,
from Born to Win, Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar’s books motivated me in the late 70s to begin life-long learning to become a positive-minded person.

I can still recall the long-ago day I decided to turn off the TV and spend my time reading books that would give me long-lasting results. Just thirty minutes a day reading his books changed the direction of my life. I began to think about the dreams that were inside of me. I began to discover those dreams as I continued my daily readings of such motivational books.

These books taught me that there is a road to living a victorious and fulfilled life. I learned new ways of thinking. Over five decades later, I continue to pursue dreams and set goals higher than my reach. And every time I get to that goal, I celebrate my achievement, giving myself a reward. Most importantly, I share this information with others and encourage them to set their own purposes. Then, when they achieve their goals, I rejoice with them. We can pass this down in our families and with our friends. We can be encouragers and messengers of how to live a beautiful life.

My Plan is Simple

First, I developed a new habit of reading and learning to set goals to achieve success. Then, I learned to begin to pursue the dreams I had hidden away inside of me.

Next, each time I set a goal, I selected a reward to give myself after I reached the goal. We need to provide ourselves with rewards because we have achieved something that we thought was beyond our ability to attain.

For instance, in 1985, I walked into a university classroom to begin my studies for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. I was forty-two years old when I decided to plunge into the academic world because I had longed to pursue a degree since I was a young girl.

Of course, I was nervous as I glanced around the room. Most of the students were the age of my children. Nevertheless, my intention was to follow my plan to a future that I envisioned. Getting a degree was my dream. But the objective was even more significant than that because I had a goal of becoming a college professor and teaching art. To do this, I earned a BFA degree and an MFA degree. However, I loved being a student so much that I added a third degree, the MA in English. 

You might be wondering why I worked for the MA in English degree?  Simply, because I had a deep passion for poetry.  By the time I finished my first two degrees, I was writing poetry and it was being published regularly. I think of this as a bonus. That degree in English broadened my educational background and opened many doors over the years.  In a way, the intense studies in poetry and literature were a reward I gave myself.

The Goal 

After nine intense years of studies, many miles, and experiences in life, I earned three degrees and reached my goal.

My entry into the university was in 1985, and my final degree was granted in 1994. I was almost fifty-one years old.

My Rewards?

When I received the first two degrees (BFA and MFA in painting) I purchased my dream car – a Nissan 300ZX. This was the first car that I owned, and I purchased it with money I earned by teaching part-time during the six -year period as I worked on the first two degrees.

 

In addition, I had a secret dream. I wanted to travel to Europe to pain and draw. I wanted to experience art-making on-location in different countries in Europe. This seemed like an impossible desire.  Nevertheless, a former art professor invited me to join her group in the summer of 1991 as they traveled to Salzburg, Austria for her drawing course.  A door opened for me  because I believed it would and I kept my thoughts focused on that goal.

When I was in Austria for that 3-week course, I made a goal that I would be back again and somehow, I wanted to spend each summer of my life in Austria. WOW – what a big goal that was!  That goal determined my future in many ways.

What I did not know at that time
I would be teaching an annual summer class, “Drawing and Writing in Salzburg,” in the future when I became a professor of fine arts and humanities at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.

One very special trip was in the summer of 2007.  I took my husband, Bob, and some of our family members  for a 3-week trip to  Austria and Germany. At this time, I had lost most of the vision in my right eye.   Just a few months later, I lost most of the sight in the other eye – profound sight loss.  This was my last trip to Europe. I taught this course from 1998 – 2007.

In April, 2008,  I  entered an in-residence program for  personal adjustment to blindness.  By the end of 1909, I started to write my blog, Walking by Inner Vision.  Through years of practicing  goal-setting, I learned that no matter what the circumstances are, we always have the option to turning things around and facing a new direction to pursue new goals.

Well, that will be another story that I will share with you in the future.

In my next post I will tell you about MORE professional goals I set and the reward I gave myself for reaching them.

Keep in mind that your goals will bring your future into the present!  Zig Ziglar taught  me how to do it!

–

©Lynda McKinney Lambert, May 13, 2022. All rights reserved.

Find book by Zig Ziglar: Born to Win – See it here.

Listen to a portion of the AUDIBLE recording of Born to Win – Here.

 

COMING SOON in The Evergreen Journal

” About the SHOES”

To wear dreams on one’s feet is to begin to give a reality to one’s dreams.

 – ~ Roger Vivier

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