“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out,” so said U.S. chemist, diplomat, and educator, James Bryant Conant in the twentieth century.
Did you know that most land turtles spend their life looking down at objects in front of them? Their large shell makes it difficult for predators to crush them, yet coupled with their sprawling gait they make progress, one step at a time. Slow and steady wins the race for the turtle. When it comes to patience, procrastination, and persistence, slow and steady wins the race for us 2-legged variety as well.
Do you have a piece of paper nearby and something with which to write? Anything will do. First write the word “procrastination” on that piece of paper. Underneath it, write the word “patience.” Finally underneath those two words, write “persistence.”
Did you notice that procrastination took a lot longer to write, contained more letters, and has more syllables than the other two words? Yet, we as human beings often expend exuberant amounts of time doing just that, procrastinating. Patience: Two syllables, eight letters, easy to say, but so very difficult for so many of us to practice. Finally, persistence. That word just flows off the tongue, it sounds effortless, elegant, and with it our dreams become goals in action. The turtle has it, the turtle “gets” it, one step at a time… and so can you.
In the past year, I have committed myself to achieving my goals. The course that got me here is the one I would like to explain. I returned to college as an adult, scared out of my wit and not knowing where or how I would “fit” in. Through the encouragement of loved ones, one person in particular, I chartered my destiny.
I set goals: personally, financially, and educationally. I put it in writing, and most importantly, I developed ACHIEVABLE goals. I put things on my list like “sign up for classes, buy notebooks, get computer, attend class everyday, develop study techniques, don’t eat after 8 p.m., have a social life, laugh, finish the month of September with at least a B average in all 5 classes.” That was my September goal list. When October 1 arrived, I had achieved ALL of my goals. Surprise! Surprise!
That is not to say that I didn’t have a period of adjustment, for I did; however, I wasn’t alone in my pursuits. Those who truly cared about me and my goals stuck by me. I decided to “house clean” my personal life and surround myself with positive people who believed in me and wanted to see me move ahead. Gone were the naysayers and those who held me down, told me it was impossible to achieve my dreams, and that I should be content in my job with benefits no matter how unhappy I was.
Funny, when I looked in the mirror I only saw ME looking back and not the faces of those who held me down. I removed those negative people from my life and trudged forward, keeping that turtle spirit in my heart. It hurt to let go, but it would have hurt more to stay in negativity and wallow in anger.
I wrote goals for each month of my several years in college, and each month I saw the fruits of my labor and my goals in action. I did the same thing for my personal life. I set goals. It may sound funny or seem odd to sit down and write personal goals, but it worked for me. I wrote down things like “take the dog for a walk, go to Barnes and Noble and get a good fiction book to read, meet new people, engage in life, call old friends, color your hair.” Again, what an amazing sense of accomplishment when those goals were achieved. My list was clear, my heart felt full, and best of all, I was getting ahead.
You may wonder if I ever fell short and failed to reach a monthly goal. Sure did! The beauty of life is that there are second chances available. I would add that goal to the next month and be sure to work harder on engaging myself. Sometimes, I aimed TOO high and reached for something nearly impossible. White-Out to the rescue. You may also choose to write in pencil. Erasers can be a reliable friend.
Be realistic in your goal setting but be true to self. Try something new. If it feels uncomfortable doing something you know needs to be done to get ahead, do it anyway. It’s all a part of the bigger picture. I told myself this time and again. I kept myself surrounded in positive people, did things for myself, enjoyed life, engaged in new things, and soon I was hearing the pomp and circumstance. I graduated with three degrees, most notably, a B.A. in English with a near 4.0 GPA, Summa Cum Laude. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.
I’m not done, though. My journey has just begun. The beauty of the turtle is that he keeps sticking his neck out. He keeps moving ahead. He is never idle for long. I really like this philosophy and highly recommend it.
My goals for 2007 were to start writing a novel, find new employment, get my CMT status, and do something to give back to community. I am happy to say all of those goals are achieved. How cool is it that I have a month left to go and a whole notebook full of paper?
The future and change is not something to be feared, but rather to be revered. No matter how big the mountain might seem, conquering it and climbing to the top starts with a baby step. The turtle is willing to do it and so can you.
Start with a notebook, a journal, or Word document, whatever medium you feel most comfortable with. You may want to start with daily goals. Break your goals down into manageable blocks. Decide how much time you are going to spend on something and allocate it. Give yourself break time. Block out distractions. Get a sitter or someone to walk the dog so that YOU can achieve your goals. Focus only on today. Don’t worry about the test next week, the laundry to be folded, the car that needs a new muffler, or how you are going to get it all done. Look at your list of manageable goals, developed and designed by you, and one at a time, get them done. Surround yourself with positive people. If all you know is one person who will listen and be there for you, a sort of “emotional coach and listener” for you, then embrace that person. It worked for me and it can and will work for you.
Have patience with yourself, keep the persistence alive in your heart, and cross procrastination off your list right now. It’s too long of a word, uses up unnecessary ink in the pen, and only serves to delay your dreams. Be that turtle. Embrace your dreams. Set your goals. Action is a footstep away.
About the Author:
Carol Bryant is employed as a full-time medical writer by a major learning institution. She is currently working on her first novel, what she likes to call adult fiction with "a twist." She is a triple-degree adult college graduate with degrees in Education, Business Management, and English. Her interests include reading, writing, dog rescue, dancing, and karaoke. She is happily owned by her 14-year-young cocker spaniel. Currently Carol resides in Pennsylvania and can be reached at ckrspanl@aol.com.
