That's... actually the exact opposite of what GP suggested, isn't it? They wrote that "training doesn't need to be driven by abstract goals", and you are suggesting abstract goals to work towards. Not saying that can't work too, just that it's something different...

Yep yearning doesnt work for me. But joy does. I try to enjoy the work. For progrmmers, big hint: do one thing at a time. Keep slack off for an hour. Get hooked on a task.