Funfare for the Common Man

Let me tell you a little bit about setting goals. Let me also tell you a little bit about process versus product. I dislike goals. I don’t have any, for the most part. But I’m content and generally feel like I am developing, both personally and professionally. I know this may seem to be a contrarian idea, but let me explain. Let’s look at this from the point of view of teaching a language. You’re learning English, for example. There’s no question that goal setting can increase your extrinsic motivation (you want to emigrate, get a particular exam result, you need it for a job opportunity, etc) but at the same time it may affect your intrinsic motivation: doing it for pleasure and enjoying the process. The reality is, there might be things we have to do in terms of goal setting but we shouldn’t lose sight of the beauty of doing things for pure pleasure if we feel it aids in our growth. There are dangers to having too narrow a focus so I always try to keep an open mind. Goals can often i...

Pieter Bruegel, The Hunters in the Snow, © Public Domain Don’t be in such a rush to welcome spring. For my Ukrainian friends and readers, it’s the start of spring. For most of the rest of us, we’re still about 3 weeks away, with the spring equinox on 20 March. What’s the hurry? This aeon.co article, which I turn to for solace once or twice a year, captures it best: Winter is a time of regeneration: we’ll miss it when it’s gone ‘Winter, for me, is a period of reflection and regeneration, of withdrawal, reminiscent of a time when humans were forced to be more malleable and responsive to the seasons.’ I can’t say I necessarily love winter. And no, I don’t particularly like snow, especially when living in a city, and especially in a city that does such a lousy job of clearing streets and pavements, and where deadly icicles dangle perilously from the rooftops, waiting to impale those who walk underneath. In short, where public safety is an afterthought. Never mind that: I like the cosin...