Reaching So Close

Brief Overview

Achieving goals takes more than just writing down a list of what we plan to accomplish. The mechanics and obstacles of first setting goals to reaching them can be a long and purposeful journey. 
The idea of Locke and Latham's Goal-Setting Theory is pretty self-explanatory—setting goals to perform certain tasks. It can be a powerful tool used to challenge and motivate us towards achieving our goals. There are four mechanisms that put together this theory:
→Direction
     ∟goals direct attention and effort towards goal-related tasks
→Effort
     ∟difficult goals lead to greater effort
→Persistance
     ∟difficult goals lead take time to accomplish; push through setbacks
→Cognition
     ∟goals can change a person's behavior
Goal-striving can be effective when the goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (S.M.A.R.T.). As long as the goals are S.M.A.R.T., factors such as feedback can diagnose our progress which is meaningful information. If feedback shows our performance is heading in the right direction, then we feel satisfied and are encouraged to push ourselves harder. If feedback shows our performance is negative, then we feel dissatisfied and would have to replan and strategize with increased effort, persistence, and attention. Emotions can affect our goal-setting behavior; if we are continuously dissatisfied with the results of our performance then eventually we give up those goals. Self-regulation manages the process of our thoughts, behavior, and feelings to reach our goals.
For long-term goals, they need to be broken down into sub-goals. Sub-goals have instrumental value, meaning they relevance of current tasks are related to future goals; what we achieve will in some way be connected to our goals. There are two types of perceived instrumentality: endogenous instrumentality, which a task is directly linked to a future goal, and exogenous instrumentality, which a task is indirectly linked to a future goal. 
We perform better when we commit to our goals and achieving them. It's important to have willpower when reaching for goals. Volitional strategies are used to support motivation (positive/negative incentives, stress-reducing, self-efficacy enhancement). If we stick to a decision and follow the course of action without wavering, the commitment of our actions can engage us to our tasks, thus maintaining purposeful strivings.

His Frustration
After receiving new information from the old man and a possible location to Vincent van Gogh's whereabouts, Armand Roulin returned to the Ravoux Inn. Louise Chavelier had mentioned Vincent was often around the Sacretan boys, acting uncivil. Adeline Ravoux shed more light on the Sacretan boys, specifically René, who often joked around with Vincent too severely, but would "always buy him a drink to apologize." He then confronted her about the gun, hearing that it came from Louise, Adeline was furious with the accusation and said they had gotten rid of the gun long before Vincent was shot. She passed him a letter that stated he was fired from his job, bringing the conversation and friendly relationship to an abrupt end.
Without a place to stay, Armand sought refuge by the river. The boatman filled in more blanks to his investigation when he said the Ravoux's gun was bought from René. The more Armand heard bits about René, the more Armand didn't like his character. René was a dangerous drunk who then owned a gun and tormented Vincent. Feeling frustrated and helpless, he aggressively questioned the boatman's morality, accusing him for doing nothing to help Vincent.

"Very friendly of you, turning your back just like on Vincent."

—

"What did you do for him? I don't hear you telling me that. Were you such a great friend?"

—

"I never said I was."

When the boatman turned tables on him, Armand felt a strong sense of guilt and shame. What had he done for Vincent? What could he have done? He left to drink away the night, stumbling upon an open bar under the evening stars, left to contemplate what was the point of the investigation. What would he achieve in knowing what happened to Vincent? The responses and reactions left him feeling dissatisfied in his position. Where does he stand in all of this?

A couple of drunks adjacent from him began to mock him until the idiot boy came walking by.  Perhaps it was due to the guilt and shame for not helping Vincent, this was a second chance at redemption, or it was cathartic opportunity. The pent up anger and frustration caught up to him when he brawled with the drunkards. The sad orchestral music that played in the background heightened the severity of his inability to achieve anything from this journey.   

Armand woke up the next morning at the police station, unable to recollect much from his drunken escapade. At what seemed like the end of his motivation to solve the mystery, the policeman remembered the day he met Vincent to gather information and mentioned a Dr.  Mazery who pestered him to file his report after Vincent had died. Curious, Armand went to go see Dr. Mazery before his appointment with Dr. Gachet. 

"But he told me what I wanted to know. That he tried to kill himself and not to let anyone else get the blame. Like I'd blame anyone else for his crime."

Dr. Mazery was curious about Vincent's case when he first heard the artist shot himself. When he personally went to question Vincent, he knew that there was something missing in his story. If Vincent had the desire to kill himself, he would have done it instantly either to the head or to the heart. The doctor pointed out that he was shot at in a low angle, implying it would have been impossible for Vincent to do that to himself, and that the bullet did not go through him, meaning he was shot a few feet away from him—ruling out suicide.

"With suicides, people shoot themselves in the head. If not, then through the heart, but not through the stomach."

Like in any experience, there is value in our actions and behaviors. We aren't born to be inherently good or bad. Without knowing at times, we build on goals we unknowingly place on ourselves. We learn along the way what is right from wrong and develop our morals and beliefs as we continue to grow. Armand is no different. At first, he seemed satisfied with collecting information from the people he's interviewed in Auvers-sur-Oise. He builded on those goals, reaching higher and persisting as the investigation moved further along. However, in the middle of it all, he eventually began to burn out because he was unable to monitor himself, letting his emotions get the best of him. But perhaps that was what he needed, a way to vent out his exasperation, continuously looped in circles unable to find a clue leading him in the right direction.