The last four and a half months have been a lot. The full story starts at the beginning of the year.
I’ve been living in the Cape Town area for eight years, with four of those years being spent working as an embedded firmware engineer. My family has ties to England - so the question of emigrating has always been there. Around April this year I started to consider it more seriously. By August I had made up my mind to emigrate to England in May 2025. I planned to quit my job at the end of March, have one month to sort things out, and then leave.
Then life happened.
I fell in love with my best friend. The details aren’t relevant for this post, but the important part is that she didn’t feel the same. That led to me resigning at the end of November and moving to my parent’s house - where I am now currently staying.
I’ve got four months before I leave for England and I am determined to make the most of them. The next four months are not a holiday. They are a time to validate assertions that I made while working and to fill in obvious gaps in my knowledge as an embedded engineer.
The remainder of this post outlines my goals for the next four months - but first some background information.
Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation
You are extrinsically motivated when the motivation is related to the outcome. An example of this is getting better at your job in order to get a promotion. Our society heavily promotes extrinsic motivation. The modern world is almost entirely outcome based.
You are intrinsically motivated when you do something for the sake of doing it. The job example becomes intrinsic when the goal of getting a promotion falls away. The classic example of an intrinsically motivated activity is learning a musical instrument. Unless you are a professional musician, there is no practical benefit to becoming proficient with an instrument.
A motivation can be both extrinsic and intrinsic. In the job example you can want to be better at your job both for the sake of it, and because it will get you a promotion.
Research has shown that people with lots of intrinsic motivations tend to be more satisfied. Of course, extrinsic motivation is often necessary to lead a comfortable life. That promotion gives you more money and autonomy - which leads to a better quality of life. The key is to find the right amount of time to spend on each kind of motivation.
Deep Work
In Cal Newport’s Deep Work he makes a compelling case that people who spend more time in the flow state are more satisfied. This post isn’t about flow, so I won’t elaborate. The point is that people who spend more time in flow are more satisfied.
Another key point from Deep Work is that being able to switch into and maintain the flow state is a skill. Even the most practiced people are only able to be in the flow state for a maximum of about four hours a day. The takeaway is that there is a relatively short amount of time to spend on things that matter. It is therefore important to be intentional when choosing what activities fill those four hours.
My Goals
My plans for the next four months are dominated by two mandates.
- Focus on intrinsically motivated activities
- Engage in as much deep work as possible
In order to make the most out of the four deep work hours I have each day, I have placed my goals into primary and secondary categories. The primary goals take priority in terms of deep work. Any remaining time will be spent on the secondary goals. Every goal must have a clear intrinsic motivation and have a measurable outcome.
Primary Goals
Geoffrey’s Journey
Outcome
Geoffrey’s Journey is the name of the novel that I have made several failed attempts to write. I have never had as much freedom in choosing how I spend my time as I will have in the next four months. If I can’t write Geoffrey’s Journey now, I probably never will.
I would like to have at least a first draft of the book before May.
Motivation
Geoffrey’s Journey is a fictional story which aims to illustrate a philosophy that underpins the way I live. I fall back on this philosophy all the time - regardless of whether what I am experiencing is good or bad. I want to write this philosophy down in a way that gives it a chance to become permanent.
Guitar
Outcome
I picked up guitar when I was twenty-three. It’s one of the best choices I have ever made. Although I can play, I am far from a good guitarist. I really enjoy learning the instrument - but life often gets in the way. There is no reason not to put significant effort into it now.
I have two books from the Fundamental Changes publisher.
- Beyond Rhythm Guitar - Licks, Riffs and Fills
- Guided Practice Routines for Guitar - Foundation Level
I would like to have gone through both of these books before May.
Motivation
There have been a few periods where I have been able to focus on learning guitar. All of them were time well spent. There is a point during practice when things suddenly become musical. The transition from practicing music to playing music is something that I find extremely satisfying.
Guitar offers a way to create something from nothing. That alone is worth becoming proficient with the instrument.
Piano
Outcome
I took an interest in music theory after having played guitar for a while. The guitar is not the most straightforward instrument on which to learn music theory.
I’d like to have weekly piano lessons with a focus on the theory behind music.
Motivation
Learning guitar has been one of the most satisfying things I have ever done. I’d like to see if I have the same experience with piano.
When it comes to learning theory, the piano is the most logical instrument with which to do it. I am interested in music theory because of its links to mathematics and patterns - and because it provides structure for creating something from nothing.
Secondary Goals
Revise Engineering Maths
Outcome
I’ve always liked maths. My job didn’t give me much opportunity to engage with it. I’ve purchased John Bird’s Comprehensive Engineering Mathematics and I intend to work through and revise some concepts that I first encountered at university. In particular, I would like to develop a more intuitive understanding of the Fourier Transform.
This goal is a bit vague. I’m not sure how much time I will have to spend on it. Perhaps, once I have settled into a routine, I can revisit it and make it more specific.
Motivation
I miss the mental engagement that comes with studying difficult topics. I’d like to slow down and engage deeply with something challenging.
I have a natural affinity for maths, so it is an obvious topic to engage with.
Learn Test Driven Development (TDD)
Outcome
I have been trying to practice TDD at work. Unfortunately the nature of the work and the company culture made it difficult to learn on the job. I now have the freedom to learn and practice TDD without constraints.
I intend to go through Kent Beck’s Test Driven Development by Example, and to complete as many TDD katas from sites like https://kata-log.rocks/ as I can.
Motivation
This is both an extrinsically and intrinsically motivated goal. I like the idea of TDD and I want to become proficient in it. Even though I have a limited practical knowledge of TDD, I can see the power in practicing it professionally. TDD provides a clear framework for how to program.
Becoming proficient in TDD will make me a better programmer. I want to be a better programmer because I take pride in what I contribute to society. Being a better programmer has the positive side effect of making me more valuable to employers.
Improve Handwriting
Outcome
I haven’t needed to write something down by hand for several years. As a result my already poor handwriting has deteriorated.
I have purchased a copy of the Print and Cursive Handwriting Workbook by Sally Sanders. I want to go through it with a focus on print handwriting. If time allows, I would like to develop basic proficiency in cursive and improve my signature.
Motivation
I am trying to engage less with the digital world. The digital world is fast-paced and overflowing with information. Its analog counterpart is relatively slow and much more focused. Getting things done relies on focusing narrowly on one thing at a time. Being able to write fast and legibly will be key to making my analog workflow successful.
I’ve never been happy with my signature. It feels clumsy and poorly thought out. I’d like to be able to sign things with style!
Looking Ahead
This post serves to keep me accountable. My goals and their motivations are now public. In four months time I will write another post comparing what I have achieved to what I said I wanted to achieve. This post is a record of what I want to achieve.
In the meantime I will continue to use this blog to keep myself accountable. As I pursue the above goals, I will write about them.
The blog will remain focused on embedded systems and programming. Given the above goals, the majority of the posts in the next four months will be maths or TDD related.