Michael Schechter, A Better Mess, on setting goals and reaching them:
Sometimes, the problem with achieving a goal set for you by a ten-year-old is that you have no idea what to do at the finish line. The world changed and I missed it. I was an expert and I was tired and bored. For me, the sweet spot of expertise hovered around the 70% mark. Being an expert is boring. While there’s always more to learn and new problems to solve, nothing is so thrilling as problems that make me fail. The moments when I struggled the most were the moments when I was scientist. I was at my best when comprehension was just out of reach.
I can relate with Schechter. My goal was always to obtain a Ph.D. in meteorology. When I got there last December, I felt a little lost. What was next? Luckily, there are always new problems to be solved.