The Vernacular Shift: Goals and Aspirations for a Post-Recession Functionalist

The Path of Least Resistance

James Clear, author of the best-selling self-guidance book titled, Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones (2018, p. 181), states that “out of all the possible actions we could take, the one that is realized is the one that delivers the most value for the least effort.” Whether one chooses their course by natural selection due to unforeseeable circumstances or carefully selects either consciously or subconsciously the path of least resistance, decisions are often determined based on the Law of Least Effort (Clear, 2018, p. 181). The law suggests that “when deciding between two similar options, people will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work” (Clear, 2018, p. 181). As a self-taught post-recession functionalist, I have deeply ingrained this “path of least resistance” and “work smarter not harder” way of thinking and doing into my daily work, domestic duties, and parenting practices. While considering the many choices I have made over the past several decades, I am certain that there are distinct life choices that are consistently and perpetually shaped by experiencing a significant lack of resources and experience. If one considers how closely a life is built based on each decision that is added to another, it is simple to see how we shape our goals and aspirations based on our available resources. When an individual has a diverse set of resources both financial, educational, and emotional, the individual can build an amazingly diverse life based on those choices. There are more available options, and therefore the individual can create a life of abundance, instead of building a life from lack.

Life in the Vernacular

This life building reminds me of the structural essence that makes up vernacular architecture. When building a home, the individuals in an area will build with whatever resources are available, in the path of least resistance, and in a way that reflects the culture and needs of the individual. For instance, a shotgun-style cabin, like the one my grandmother was raised in, featured a small wood-frame built roughly from local trees, a long narrow walkway through the center of the house for natural ventilation and cooling, and a central wood fireplace for heating and cooking. Every space was used for storage, bedding, food storage and preparation, and farming. The entire design was a direct reflection of the most important features for the ones that live there. Consequently, in the same way that vernacular architecture is defined and shaped by the available resources, one can see that our lives are similarly built by the significant decisions that we make based on those resources. Therefore, it is vastly important for young people to have many resources available growing up such as education, financial aid, and strong emotional support systems to give them options to build their lives beyond the meager stick frames we begin our lives with. If we think in terms of what we leave behind, the better option is always to grow our options and resources, and although traces of difficult times such as a recession may show up in life decisions, it is important to note that vernacular architecture, just like a life, can always change when more resources become available. This creates strong bones for a home and provides a strong foundation for lives well-lived since they will be built based on wants, and not just needs.

Building a Strong Foundation

As I reflect on my personal goals over the years, I can see with more perspective just how significant the struggles of the previous recession have impacted my life goals and aspirations. Even now, it is immensely difficult to transition from living on survival mode to thriving with options, and now heading into another recession where there are more options, but a great fear of the unknown economy. There is a mysterious essence of vernacular lack that shows in my career decisions, location, and even relationships. Just like walking through a house that I designed, there would be many signs that indicated I built past chapters of my life with few resources, and from a place of lack. I remember many instances when I would make informed life plans only to see them fizzle out due to layoffs, shortages, high-gas prices, etc. The decision to set and obtain goals, was always clear and simple, the problem was always finding the right window of opportunity and hoping it would stay open long enough to make a difference.

Since I know the deep pain of having goals crushed, I know that I tend to have an appropriate amount of reluctance when setting new goals. As I am learning more from Clear about goal setting and I am conscious to build goals enthusiastically, but from a functionalist’s experience based on future options, instead of the current vernacular resources available. Based on Clear’s guidance, the author suggests goals should be specific and actionable, he also says one should focus on your systems instead (2018). Although somewhat broad in scope, here are goals I hope to achieve during this doctoral journey.

Goals During My Doctoral Journey

1. Prioritize health and family.

2. Lock down an amazing job with regular hours and benefits.

3. Research and become a subject matter expert (SME) on 3-5 different types of emerging technologies such as low-code tech, internet of behavior (IoB), Cloud Computing, Multicore, etc.

4. Write, publish, and present 2-4 scholarly research papers during the doctoral program.

5. Earn 2-4 technical certifications.

6. Master teaching 2-4 different courses online.

7. Complete doctorate degree.

8. Level up in my career, contribute to the community, and travel.

Conclusion

While I am working to reach these specific goals, I will keep most of the deadlines open, and remain flexible in how these goals are achieved. My accountability partners for this journey will include my husband, Josh, my children, Jacob and Samuel, and my amazing mentors. Since these accountability partners can only offer moral support, much of the hard work still lies in my own dedication to planning, resourcing, and researching options to assist me through this doctoral journey. It is important to remember that although our lives are built in the vernacular sense, the decisions we make to reach our goals are still very much our own, and this fact can be as limiting as it is liberating.