Musings of an Old Chemist

A Chemist's Perspective on the Habits and Skills STEM Students Need For Success

Tag: personal-development

An Open Letter: Why Spend So Much Time on the Personal Growth Building Metaphor?

To my colleagues and fellow readers,

I’ve recently been asked why my Personal Growth Building (Revision 2) focuses so heavily on the specific structural components for personal growth rather than just the “foundational” traits we all value: Curiosity, a Growth Mindset, the Passion for Solving Problems, and a Passion for Learning.

It is a fair question. The “foundational” traits we value in STEM and other fields are often considered the prerequisites for student achievement. However, from my perspective, having spent time in scientific labs and learning drafting and surveying with my Dad, a civil engineer, I see a crucial element that is often overlooked: As Dr. Walkup famously stated, “You can’t build a skyscraper on an outhouse foundation.”

1. “Readiness” vs. The “System.”

Curiosity and a Growth Mindset represent how prepared a student is; they indicate if a student is truly ready to jump into learning.

The elements in the Personal Growth Building, though, are all about what a student does. They’re the tools that turn that potential into real results.

Think about a student who’s “passionate about learning” but doesn’t have a solid understanding of the base of knowledge required to succeed. They’re like a car engine revving high but stuck in neutral. They have the “energy” necessary but no way to actually use it effectively. The “Building” provides the process and structure they need to shift a “simple interest” into “genuine understanding.”

2. The Sustainability of Growth

My intent is to prepare students for a 40-year career, not just a four-year degree. Traits like “Passion” can flicker and fade under the pressure of a professional environment.

The components and structure of the “Building” are designed to train and support students so they’re capable of “adapting.” When a chemist’s specific technical knowledge becomes obsolete, it is the structure of their learning – their ability to categorize new information and logically assess and apply it – that allows them to pivot to new challenges. We don’t just want “curious” students; we want intellectually sound professionals.

Closing Thought

We shouldn’t choose between “traits” and “frameworks.” We must recognize that the traits are what make the building possible, but the framework is what makes the student useful to the world and resilient to change.

February 22, 2026
Wisdom: A Function of Knowledge, Experience, Self-awareness, and Faith
Introduction

“When you see something that is technically sweet, you go ahead and do it, and you argue about what to do about it only after you have had your technical success. That is the way it was with the atomic bomb.”

– J. Robert Oppenheimer

A review of 20th-century history reveals a critical, undeniable fact: Intelligence is not a guarantee of a positive result.

The Manhattan Project stands as a technical masterpiece, having assembled the foremost experts in physics to tackle intricate theoretical challenges surrounding nuclear fission. The team successfully developed and engineered a mechanism to initiate this reaction in a practical setting, meticulously following every step to achieve a logical and verifiable result. However, despite this technical brilliance, the outcome was the creation of a weapon with the power to extinguish human civilization.

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the lead physicist, later famously quoted Hindu scripture, realizing the gravity of what his “success” meant: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

How can a project be a perfect success in the lab, but a potential failure for humanity? Knowledge and Expertise do not equate with Wisdom.

What is “Wisdom?”

Wisdom as a Mathematical Equation

If you are entering a STEM field today, you are spending years building your intellect. You are accumulating Knowledge (formulas, axioms, laws of physics) and gaining Experience (labs, internships, projects). These are the tools that help you succeed in the world.

But intellect without wisdom is just an uncontrolled force.

“Yesterday, we fought wars which destroyed cities. Today, we are concerned with avoiding a war which will destroy the Earth. We can adapt atomic energy to produce electricity and move ships, but can we control its use in anger?”

– Robert Kennedy

To be truly successful – not just as a scientist, but as a leader, and a human being – you need more than just the inputs of knowledge and experience. You need to solve for a different variable entirely. You need to solve for Wisdom.

Wisdom is not a mystical concept reserved for philosophers on a mountain top. It is a function of four specific variables. And just like any complex system, if you ignore one variable, the equation falls apart.

Defining the Wisdom Function

If we accept that Wisdom is the desired outcome, we need to understand the components (inputs) required to generate it. Wisdom is not a random occurrence; it is the result of a specific integration of variables.

We can define the Wisdom Function as follows:

$W = f(K, E, S, F)$

To solve for W (Wisdom), you must understand the nature and function of each variable.

1. $K$ = Knowledge (Your Database)

In our equation, Knowledge is the raw data. It is the accumulation of facts, information, and established laws.

Think of Knowledge as the hard drive of your computer (your brain). It is filled with terabytes of information – years of research, chemical equations, and physics constants.

But a hard drive full of facts has a limitation; it knows that a tomato is a fruit (botanical classification), but it does not know that a tomato does not belong in a fruit salad. It has content, but no context.

2. $E$ = Experience (Real-life Application)

Experience is the application of Knowledge in a real-world environment. It is the process of converting theory into practice through repetition.

Consider this analogy: experience is the Lab Experiment. You take a hypothesis ( $K$ ) and test it against reality. Experience is the collection of data points derived from failures and successes.

But experience has a limitation: It is reactive. It tells you what has worked in the past, but it cannot always predict what will work in a completely new future environment or application.

3. $S$ = Self-Awareness (Internal Calibration)

Self-Awareness is the understanding of our own influence on the data.

Consider this instrumental chemistry analogy: Instrument Calibration. In any experiment, the instrument used to measure the data may affect the result. For example, if your electronic balance is not zeroed out (tared), every measurement you take is flawed.

Self-awareness is the process of checking to see if we’re solving problems the right way, and for the right reasons. It forces us to stop and ask: What am I really trying to do here? Are my actions to benefit the project’s outcome, to fix a problem, or just to make myself look better? Are my personal feelings clouding my judgment? Am I ignoring facts that don’t fit my hypothesis? And ultimately, does the outcome match my core beliefs? If you skip this internal check, all your knowledge ( $K$ ) and experience ( $E$ ) may not matter, and the solution will be biased.

4. $F$ = Faith (The Constant)

This is often the most difficult variable for the scientific mind to accept, yet it is essential for the equation. Faith has many forms. There is a faith in a set of scientific axioms or principles, which may or may not continue to be valid in the current situation. There is faith in your knowledge and skill, the ability to adapt and solve any problem you may face. And there is a faith in God or a higher power, which gives you strength and guides your moral compass.

Faith acts as a moral constant, an internal compass guiding you when all the facts are not yet known. It’s what helps you discern not just what can be achieved, but what is right, connecting what is understood to what is yet to be discovered.

The Scientific Analogy: A great deal of scientific work starts with a theory or idea that hasn’t been completely proven yet. It’s all built on a fundamental trust – like believing the established rules of physics will hold up in any new situation, no matter what.

Personal Commentary

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.

– Albert Einstein

Sometimes, because we are trained to be analytical thinkers, we convince ourselves that we are agnostic. And when we look and see something we don’t understand, when we should be filled with awe and wonder, we are so busy trying to find a scientific explanation that we convince ourselves it’s not a miracle, that it is not the act of God or a higher power. Wisdom, for me personally, is my recognition that I cannot underestimate the power of God and his plan.

Now that we have defined the variables, we can see how they interact. The mistake most students make – and the mistake the educational system often encourages – is focusing entirely on the first two variables, Knowledge and Experience.

Two Wisdom Function Analogies

Scalar vs Vector Measurement Example

Most of us in the science realm were introduced to the concept of vectors and the difference between scalar and vector measurements in our middle school science classes and again in our high school and college physics classes.

As a refresher for these concepts, consider the following example: Imagine you were to ask me directions to a local restaurant, and I were to say you drive 45 miles per hour for 15 minutes. This is a scalar measurement. You have no idea which direction you were to drive; you have only one piece of information, the velocity at which you are to drive, and you need the direction. The definition of a vector is that it has a magnitude, in this example, 45 miles per hour, and a direction, let’s say directly east. You now have both components of a vector. The directions to the restaurant are to drive east at 45 miles per hour (vector) for 15 minutes.

Now, think of your career trajectory as a Vector.

The sheer power of your abilities, the Magnitude of your professional vector, is determined by your Knowledge ( $K$ ) and Experience ( $E$ ).

These factors directly influence:
- The depth of intellect you can bring to bear on any challenge.
- The speed with which you can reach a solution.
- The sophistication and complexity of the problems you are capable of solving.
A person with great intellect and extensive experience is a force to be reckoned with. However, magnitude is a scalar quantity, it lacks direction.

The Direction in your life’s “vector” is determined by Self-Awareness and Faith.
- Self-Awareness provides calibration for the “Why?”: It answers the question, ‘Why am I doing this?’
- Faith ensures your internal belief system is aligned: It addresses where your actions fit within your personal moral and internal convictions.
The Guided Missile Example

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Imagine a missile guidance system.
- If you have low Knowledge and Experience (Low Magnitude), the missile barely leaves the launchpad. It’s ineffective and harmless.
- However, if you have incredible Knowledge and Experience (high Magnitude) but lack Self-awareness and Faith to set the coordinates in the right Direction, you have created a disaster. You have a high-speed projectile aimed at the wrong target.
The STEM Trap

In your classes, you are graded almost exclusively on Magnitude. Did you get the right answer? Did the chemical reaction work? Did the bridge you designed hold the weight?

But in life, Wisdom is the vector sum. It is useless to be the smartest engineer in the company if you are building something that ultimately causes harm because you didn’t ask the “faith” or “self-awareness” questions.

Conclusion

Wisdom ( $W$ ) is the alignment of your Magnitude ( $K+E$ ) with the correct Direction ( $S+F$ ).

Wisdom is not an accident. It is not a trait you simply “pick up” as you get older. It is the deliberate integration of what you know ( $K$ ), what you do or have done ( $E$ ), who you are ( $S$ ), and what you believe ( $F$ ).

If you remove any variable, the function fails.
- Without Knowledge, you are clueless.
- Without Experience, you are just theoretical.
- Without Self-Awareness, you are unreliable.
- Without Faith, you are adrift.
January 27, 2026
Mastering Emotional Intelligence for Personal Growth

When we talk about the subject of personal growth, we usually split things into two buckets: “Inner” growth (a growth mindset, self-awareness, and resilience) and “Outer” growth (relationships, communication skills, achievements, and recognition). However, here’s the missing piece in our model: Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the bridge that unites these two separate ideas, preparing you to be successful as a functioning member of society, regardless of your chosen career path. Producing real-world success that people actually notice.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) isn’t just about being nice; it is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions while recognizing and acknowledging the feelings of others. If your IQ measures your intelligence or book knowledge, EQ measures your people skills and self-control. It is the connection between thinking and feeling.

The Four Core Pillars of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Pillar #1: Self-awareness

In a previous blog post, we defined Self-Awareness as the GPS for our process of personal growth. And it is the absolute starting point for emotional intelligence (EQ). It’s all about understanding your own moods, feelings, what drives you, and how all that affects the people around you. To master this, you need to take an honest look at what you’re good at and what you struggle with, and feel genuinely confident in yourself. The key thing is, a self-aware person doesn’t just feel an emotion; they can actually figure out why they’re feeling frustrated, happy, or stressed. This deep internal check is the groundwork for everything else in emotional intelligence.

Pillar #2: Self-control

The second component, self-control (self-management), follows self-awareness. It is crucial for keeping destructive emotions and urges in check, so you can stay calm and collected, even when things get stressful. Think of it as emotional control—it’s that ability to hit the pause button between feeling an impulse and actually doing something about it. This pause allows you to make smart, principled decisions instead of just reacting impulsively or defensively. Self-management includes being flexible, taking initiative, and keeping a positive attitude in order to reach your goals, even when you face roadblocks.

Common Examples:

When receiving constructive criticism, someone with low emotional intelligence (EQ) might immediately become defensive, blame someone else for their mistake, or just give the person the silent treatment, which is not helpful. In contrast, a person with high emotional intelligence will pause, acknowledge that the criticism, while it may feel uncomfortable, is justified, and then ask what they need to do to improve, genuinely thanking the person for being honest.

When having a “bad day,” a person with low emotional intelligence stressed about a meeting or a deadline, might react by snapping at their parents, spouse, friend, or even someone in a restaurant or store, just because they are in the way. A highly emotionally intelligent response is to recognize the feeling of being overwhelmed and directly tell a partner, “I’m having a ridiculously stressful day and I’m a bit on edge. I need 20 minutes of quiet to de-stress so I don’t accidentally take it out on you.”

Pillar #3: Social Awareness

Social Awareness (Empathy) is the third key ability, which is shifting your focus away from yourself and focusing on others. This crucial skill enables you to sense, understand, and respond well to the emotional needs and concerns of those around you. Often described as being able to “read the room”, it requires you to see things from someone else’s perspective and grasp the mood of the situation. It goes beyond just seeing that someone is upset; strong social awareness helps you to understand why they are feeling that way, which is critical for great relationships and connecting with others.

For Example:

During a big disagreement, either at home, school, or at work, a person with low emotional intelligence makes their goal to “win” the argument and prove the other person is wrong. Conversely, a highly emotionally intelligent individual focuses on understanding the other person’s perspective, asking questions like, “Help me out here – why is this so important to you?” because they value the relationship more than being right.

Pillar #4: Building Relationships

Building Relationships is the final stage of emotional intelligence. It’s where you combine your emotional intelligence and social skills to manage complicated social situations, inspiring others. This is the top level of emotional intelligence, showing how well you can influence people, get them on board, and help them grow. It covers multiple social and communication skills—things like building trust and connection, communicating your message clearly and powerfully, addressing disagreements without a fight, and promoting change in a variety of settings, at home, school, and work. Bottom line? Relationship Management is about taking what you know about yourself (self-awareness) and what you feel for others (empathy) and turning that into positive interactions with those around you.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is an essential skill for genuine, lasting success. Without it, attempts at inner growth become mere wishful thinking that fails when the pressure mounts. And outer growth results in shallow relationships that lack the trust necessary for long-term progress and achievement. Emotional intelligence links your inner strength to your outer results, establishing a mechanism that accelerates both personal growth and professional success.

December 30, 2025
Essential Skills for Success in STEM: Initiative, Resolve, Perseverance, Resilience

You may be doing well in your math and science courses, or perhaps you’re already interested in areas such as computer programming, robotics, or video game design. While a passion for STEM and strong academic performance are certainly vital, true success in these fields requires more than just intelligence.

The key drivers—the qualities that will propel you through challenging projects, demanding courses, and even career setbacks—are the four absolutely vital tools in your personal growth toolkit for anyone charting a course in STEM: Initiative, Resolve, Perseverance, and Resilience.

What is Initiative, Resolve, Perseverance, and Resilience?

1. Initiative

What it is: The ability to self-start, take action without being told, and seek out new opportunities or skills.

Why it matters in STEM: The STEM fields are constantly evolving. What you learn today may be outdated in five years. Initiative is crucial for lifelong learning—the willingness to constantly teach yourself new skills (computer programming, robotics, advanced data analysis, or new analytical instrumentation) to remain current and competitive in the industry.

When performing research or problem-solving, it takes initiative to troubleshoot errors, design a better experiment, or learn to use a new piece of equipment before it’s required. It’s what drives you to excel.

Example: Your Chemistry professor assigns an open-ended laboratory project. The explicit expectation is a successful, unique final product. You must show the initiative to search for resources, organize the necessary equipment and reagents, and learn to operate the necessary tools needed to complete the project because the assignment demands it, not just because you feel like it.

2. Resolve

What it is: A firm determination to achieve a specific goal, resisting distractions, and maintaining focus even when things get tough. The unwavering focus needed to complete a difficult project, solve a complex equation, or commit to the years of study required for a specialized field of study.

Why it matters in STEM: STEM fields demand long-term commitment. Resolve is what helps you stay committed to completing that difficult assignment, even when exhaustion hits. Push through a difficult physics derivation, knowing the understanding will unlock new perspectives. See past a frustrating semester or a challenging first-year chemistry, physics, or math course, reminding you of your ultimate career aspirations. It’s the inner conviction that keeps you on track.

Example: Introductory college courses, such as Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus, are often intentionally challenging to test your preparedness to succeed in upper level courses. When faced with a low grade, resolve is the quality that prevents you from abandoning your major. Initiative is the drive to seek out help by finding a tutor, joining a study group, or meeting with the professor to grasp the material you do not understand, instead of simply giving up.

3. Perseverance

What it is: The sustained effort to keep working despite difficulties, serving as the dedication required to solve tough problems through hours of calculations, research, or repeated experiments. It’s the long-term, consistent effort.

Why it matters in STEM: STEM is rarely a straight line to success. Perseverance means spending countless hours debugging computer programming, even when you’re convinced it’s flawless. Re-running an experiment five times because you’re confident there’s a pattern you’re missing. Staying up late to understand a complex mathematical concept until it finally clicks.

Example: You struggle with a Chemistry laboratory assignment and are tempted to give up. Your instructor intervenes, not by giving you the answer, but by offering a small suggestion, confirming the difficulty of the task, and requiring you to follow up in an hour. This structured support prevents you from feeling abandoned in your efforts, reinforces the importance of struggle, and teaches you the value of perseverance.

While the ultimate decision to continue is yours, external factors, the support from your instructor, are essential. The setting of an expectation, the modelling of how to continue in the process, and the structured support act as powerful motivations, transforming your ability to just keep going into an established, automatic behavior (perseverance).

4. Resilience

What it is: The capacity to recover quickly from setbacks, disappointments, or outright failures, viewing setbacks not as defining moments but as valuable data and learning opportunities.

Why it matters in STEM: Failure isn’t a setback in STEM; it’s a feature. Scientific discovery often involves many “failed” experiments before a breakthrough. Resilience allows you to: bounce back from a low test score, analyze what went wrong, and adjust your study habits.

Example: It can be challenging for you to picture what “resilience” looks like. Mentors provide a crucial model. When you witness your research advisor’s experiment fail, and instead of getting discouraged, your advisor calmly analyzes the data, identifies the potential sources of error, and immediately starts correcting the issues for the next trial run. These actions model resilience and teaches you how to respond appropriately to setbacks.

STEM fields are characterized by constant challenges and an emphasis on complex problem-solving. Success relies less on your natural talent and more on your willingness to engage in a productive learning process. And that success rarely comes on the first try. It is common for an experiment to produce unexpected results or a mathematical proof to contain an error. Instead of seeing these setbacks as personal shortcomings, students need the mindsets of resilience and perseverance to see a failure as a starting point.

Is Initiative, Resolve, Perseverance, and Resilience a Personality Trait or a Learned Skill?

Initiative, resolve, perseverance, and resilience are generally understood as learned behaviors. Psychologists like Carol Dweck argue that these qualities stem from a Growth Mindset—the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed, rather than a fixed personality trait. While some people might appear naturally more determined to manage and learn from their struggles, everyone has the capacity to develop these essential skills.

Think of initiative, resolve, perseverance, and resilience as learned skills that, when practiced consistently, become an integral, defining part of your character or personality. For a STEM student, it is critical to recognize the value in treating them as skills that require deliberate practice.

The Power of Role Models, Mentors, and External Expectations

The skills of initiative, resolve, perseverance, and resilience isn’t something you can achieve entirely on your own, however you can always begin the process. The most effective and the smoothest path to growth in these areas requires external guidance. Role models, mentors, and the right external expectations act as a vital catalyst in forging these qualities.

How do role models, mentors, and external expectations cultivate these critical skills? Here are four key examples:

Observation: Professors, Mentors, and Role Models provide critical “how-to” knowledge. Observing an experienced chemist handle an instrument failure calmly or a scientist gracefully accept and learn from a failed experiment offers a real-world demonstration of resilience and perseverance in action.

Accountability: External expectations, whether it is from a professor, mentor, or a course syllabus, establish defined goals and deadlines that require action. Taking on a challenging project with its external pressures, its deadlines and reporting requirements, serves as a catalyst. It triggers the initiative needed to start and, crucially, builds the internal resolve and strength required for sustained effort toward completion.

A Defined Strategy for Success: Effective teachers and mentors avoid simply giving answers. Instead, they offer focused, constructive feedback, guide individuals through roadblocks, and recognize small achievements. This strategic support reinforces successful behaviors, driving long-term competence and success.

Reinforcement and Feedback: These critical skills are only learned effectively when you receive balanced feedback from your professors and mentors, parents as well – positive reinforcement when you suceed and constructive criticism when you fall short.

A Strategy for Your Personal Growth and Success

As you navigate your academic life and plan for a career in science, technology, engineering, or math, your focus must extend beyond formulas and facts. You need to actively look for opportunities to develop your initiative, resolve, perseverance, and resilience. So take action with the following approach:

1. Embrace the Hard Stuff: Never shy away from difficult assignments or complex projects. Challenges are opportunities in disguise.

2. Treat Failures as Data: Every setback is not an end, but a valuable data point. Analyze what went wrong and adjust your approach.

3. Actively Seek Mentors: Find someone whose approach to challenges inspires you, and commit to learning from their wisdom and experience.

4. Practice Self-Reflection: When things get tough, take a moment to ask yourself: How did I react? What could I do differently next time?

Conclusion

These qualities are not just career buzzwords; they are the foundation of personal growth and the essential fuel for scientific discovery and innovation. The combination of strong grades and these four psychological attributes is what ultimately separates a good student from future success in their career path, capable of making a difference in a STEM field. Cultivate them, and you will do more than just succeed in STEM; you will thrive in every aspect of your life.

November 19, 2025
Step-by-Step Procedure for Personal Growth

The key to a successful analysis or experiment is a detailed procedure to follow. First, it provides a list of all the key starting materials you need to gather, along with the quantities of each. Then step-by-step instructions on how to combine these materials. Then details regarding under what conditions the reaction mechanism drives the reaction process to its completion, resulting in the product or products you desire. A quality procedure also lists the byproducts that a reaction process may produce. And finally, a section on sources of error, a detailed description of possible errors that can be made, and the effect of these mistakes on the reaction process, and which products or byproducts are produced.

I can attest to the fact that writing a quality procedure is a challenging task. I’ve drafted my share of procedures in my career, and I’ve found that it requires extensive hands-on experience performing the chemical reaction process and an in-depth understanding of how each step of the procedure contributes to the overall desired result. More importantly, I found that the sources of error section is the most difficult section to write. Luckily, I was blessed to have college professors whose primary focus was on the documentation of every possible source of error in every experiment we performed and on every lab report we prepared in our advanced chemistry and physics courses.

Commentary

So, how does this concept of a detailed procedure apply in our chemical reaction analogy of personal growth? I can honestly say there were points in my life that I had no idea what I was supposed to do, what decision to make, what path to follow. I wished I had had a detailed procedure to follow, a document that told me what decisions I should make, and when, to obtain the goals, and the success I was seeking. A set of step-by-step instructions defining what skills and traits I needed to possess, and the decisions I needed to make. And more importantly, I could’ve used a sources of error section that identified what mistakes I might make, describing how to, if not avoid them, deal with them constructively and not get sidetracked on my journey.

But, as I have learned and become painfully aware of at times, there is no one universal set of instructions we can follow for personal success. While there are plenty of books written on the subject, not one is universally applicable to each of us, with our individual personality traits, gifts, dreams, and aspirations.

Creating Your Procedure for Personal Growth

You cannot find a procedure tailored personally for you in a blog, book, or video; you produce it. It’s not a set of instructions someone else has written for your life. Instead, you create it with a combination of self-assessment and a growth mindset, the understanding that there is always more you can learn.

Step One: Self-assessment

To begin, you need to develop an awareness of the starting materials component for your personal growth procedure through honest self-assessment – identifying your strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and natural tendencies (how you react in different situations). This is the initial observation stage, much like in the Scientific Method.

Continue to ask yourself: “What have I done in the past that’s worked for me?”, “What approach or actions to address challenges or concerns feels natural to me?”, and “What habits, good and bad, do I tend to fall into?” This self-assessment ensures your approach is personalized and realistic. Following a generic procedure that works for someone else might produce a result in you that leaves you feeling emotionally, mentally, or physically drained.

Remember that this journey is yours, and yours alone.

Step Two: Utilizing a Growth Mindset

Once you’ve identified your core starting materials, turn your attention outward. See how others have achieved similar goals. Dive into books and articles about what you’re interested in. Find mentors who have already done what you want to do, ask for their input, seek their instruction. And, try to learn from their successes and failures. Figure out what works for them and then make it your own.

Perfecting Your Procedure: The Scientific Method

You don’t know what to do at the beginning; you discover it. Your procedure for personal growth is not something you are handed at the beginning of your journey. Instead, your initial procedure is a hypothesis – a best guess based on your self-awareness and research. Through the process of experimentation, analysis, and revision, you refine that hypothesis. The final, tested and proven procedure is the culmination of your observation and learning. It represents the wisdom and practical knowledge you’ve gained from the entire process.

Your “procedure” is not a fixed set of instructions; it is dynamic and constantly changing. As you learn more about yourself and the world around you, your procedure must adapt to who you are and your unique situation at each stage of your personal growth. What works for you today may not be what you need a year from now. Your procedure adapts as you gain new insights, as your world changes, and as your goals evolve.

This is the power of applying the scientific method to your life: you are constantly running small experiments, collecting data on your results, and refining your methods for the next reiteration. It’s a continuous, cyclical process of learning and adaptation. Your journey of personal growth is ever-evolving; each day brings with it new challenges. Personal growth dictates that who we are today is different than who we were yesterday, and hopefully, tomorrow we will be better than we are today.

September 21, 2025
Weekly Quotation, September 2, 2025: “Peeing” On That Proverbial Electric Fence

For your consideration:

“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”

– Will Rogers

We’ve all been there. You dive into a new skill, armed with books, tutorials, and a healthy dose of optimism. Maybe it’s golf, maybe it’s fixing a leaky faucet, or in my case, trying to resurrect a stubborn lawnmower. You read the manuals, you watch the videos, and you start to feel… confident. Perhaps even a little too confident.

My own journey began in my instrumental chemistry courses in college. Dr. John Walkup had the following advice when applying for a laboratory position – “If asked if you can operate a piece of instrumentation, just say ‘Yes.’ Once hired, you can take the instrument manual home and study it.” This fostered a sense of overconfidence in my abilities in me. Not realizing at the time that while a manual can certainly help you ask semi-intelligent questions and avoid appearing utterly clueless, it often serves as a dangerous enabler. Believing I knew more than I actually did, I’d inevitably encounter what Will Rogers affectionately calls the “electric fence moment,” proving my self-proclaimed expertise was, shall we say, premature.

And here’s my confession, I honestly believe there’s a lot to be said for “peeing” on that proverbial “electric fence.” I’ve certainly had my share of “shocks.” And while the metaphor is a bit crude, for me, it perfectly summarizes the process of discovering all the ways something wouldn’t work.

Making mistakes, and analyzing them, provides tremendous insight. It cultivates a deeper understanding and a firmer retention of knowledge than simply reading a book or passively watching countless YouTube videos ever could. The learning process can be painful, of course. No one enjoys making mistakes; it can wound our pride and occasionally make us feel utterly foolish. However, I would strongly argue that hands-on experience, complete with its inevitable missteps, is far superior to any amount of book learning.

So, the next time you find yourself grappling with a new challenge, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, to experiment, and yes, to even “pee” on that “electric fence” a few times. Those moments of “shock” might just be your most effective teachers.

September 3, 2025
Using the Scientific Method to Overcome Adversity

Every one of us, at some point in our lives, will face adversity and failure. Times when we fall short of expectations, whether it is the expectations others have for us or the expectations we have for ourselves. As students, it may be a poor exam grade, an incomplete or missed assignment, or even failing a course. You may fail to get the ACT score you need, or fail to be admitted to the college you desire. As adults, we may face setbacks like a failed job interview or missing out on a position we covet. A negative annual performance review could mean not getting the raise you feel like you deserve. Relationships and marriages can fail, and communication breakdowns can leave us questioning what went wrong. Life inevitably brings challenges: the loss of loved ones, health concerns, retirement, and the realization that we’re not as young as we used to be. The key lies in how we choose to confront these difficulties.

The Scientific Method’s Role in Dealing With Adversity

Most of us are familiar with the scientific method, a cornerstone of science education from middle school through college. For those who need a refresher, the scientific method consists of five steps or actions: Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, and Analysis/Conclusions.

How Can I Use the Scientific Method to Deal With Adversity?

I would argue that the key step is observation, being able to separate yourself from the emotion and act as an outside viewer of the situation, watching without judgment. Observation combined with self-awareness, asking yourself, “What are my strengths?, “What are my weaknesses?”, and “What truly motivates me?” These are the essential principles in applying the scientific method to adversity. It’s the perspective that allows you to treat a challenge not as an attack on you, but as a problem to be solved.

Once you accept this attitude and put it into practice, the scientific method becomes a powerful tool for dealing with adversity, changing it from an emotional crisis into a manageable process of observation and experimentation.

Real-life Example: You get a “D” on your chemistry assignment.

Step One: Observation

Adversity strikes, and your first step is to resist the emotional pull to react immediately. We often make the situation worse by reacting without thinking, responding in ways we’ll come to regret later. Not just in our words, but in our actions and decisions we make in the moment. We need to take a step back and become an objective viewer of the situation at hand.

First, you observe the situation without being judgmental or emotional, asking yourself:

“What are the facts of this situation?”

Break the situation down, make an objective, non-emotional analysis. The assignment was due three days ago, and I submitted it today, three days late. The classroom policy is that for every day an assignment is late, there is a letter grade penalty.

“What are the emotions am I feeling?”

Angry, I worked really hard on this assignment. Embarrassed, all my friends got better grades than I did.

“What thoughts are running through my mind?”

My teacher is just being mean; he doesn’t like me, and he’s picking on me. And this policy is really unfair.

“What are the other variables at play?”

I spent my time playing a new video game I just got instead of working on the assignment. I struggle with procrastination, putting off all my assignments until the last minute.

As you gather information, treat your emotions and thoughts as “data” points rather than truths to be acted upon.

Step Two: Identify a Question

From this place of calm observation, you formulate a specific, solvable question. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?”, you ask, “What is the real problem I need to solve here?” This question must be objective and actionable, similar to a chemist asking, “What are the souces of error causing this reaction to fail?”

For this situation, your core problem you need to solve is that you procrastinate.

Step Three: Create a Hypothesis

Next, you develop a theory about how to approach the problem. This is your educated guess about a potential solution. Your hypothesis is a path forward, a specific action you will take to test your theory. It might sound like this: “If I communicate my feelings calmly and clearly, then I can find a resolution to this conflict.” Or, “If I study more, then I will do better on my exam.”

Because you struggle with procrastination, you may decide to start on an assignment the day it is assigned, or do your work at the dining room table, not in your room where you’re easily distracted. Maybe ask your parents to help or ask a friend to be a “study buddy” to help keep you accountable.

Step Four: Perform an Experiment

This is where you put your hypothesis into action. You take a deliberate, measured step to test your theory. The experiment isn’t a rash decision; it’s a controlled action designed to provide data. You act or change your behavior, and you carefully observe the results.

For example, for the next assignment, you decide to test your hypothesis by starting the day it is assigned and doing your work at your kitchen table, not in your room.

Step Five: Analysis & Conclusion

After the experiment, you analyze the results. Did your new approach work? Did the situation improve, or did your emotions shift in a positive way?

Based on the analysis, you draw a conclusion. If your hypothesis was correct, you’ve found a new, effective way to handle that specific type of adversity. If it wasn’t, you haven’t failed; you’ve simply gathered new information. That new information allows you to formulate a new hypothesis and start the cycle over again.

While it is not always easy, assuming responsibility for our failures and admitting our shortcomings never is, by applying this systematic, analytical approach, you may find that adversity is no longer a personal attack. It becomes a solvable problem, and you become the master architect who learns from every challenge and uses that knowledge to become a stronger, more resilient you.

August 18, 2025
Weekly Quotation August 13, 2025: Being Comfortable In Silence

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

– Mark Twain

Truer words have never been said. Learning to be an active listener, and be comfortable in our silence is a valuable skill that most of us, myself included, need to practice daily.

August 12, 2025
Weekly Quotation: August, 6, 2025: Rethinking Education to Prioritize Personal Growth

“We are a culture that worships the winning result: the league championship, the high test score. Coaches are paid to win, teachers are valued for getting students into the best colleges. Less glamorous gains made a long the way – learning, wisdom, growth, confidence, dealing with failure – aren’t given the same respect because they can’t be given a grade.”

– William Zinnser (On Writing Well, 30th edition) (pg. 253)

I wonder if the same can be said about the process of personal growth. I am absolutely certain that there are teachers whose passion lies in seeing they’re students grow as people of substance, encouraging their passion for learning, challenging students with inquiry-based lessons. I know this because I have worked alongside many of them. However, the pressure to meet state and federal established testing benchmarks by which schools are judged and state curriculum standards leaves little time for creativity and discussion in the classroom. So many feel like they are fighting a losing battle. And it not only these restrictions that affect the development of our students’ personal growth in the classroom.

I have also experienced a paradigm shift in the STEM students I work with. While there are still some who are open to new ideas and are willing to explore and develop the foundations of personal growth: curiosity, a passion for solving problems, and a passion for learning. There is a growing majority of students whose primary interest is in just getting the grade, whose focus is on getting the highest ACT score possible, not through learning the baseline knowledge to support the score, but only in the quick techniques to “cheat” the test with the least amount of effort. And, with minimum ACT test score standards being implemented in school systems as graduation requirements, schools now offer courses teaching these methods. ” Memorize and forget” is now the status quo for many of our students.

We are doing a disservice to our students. For when they get to college, and especially when they graduate and join the workforce without a solid foundation in knowing how to deal with failure, learn from their mistakes, develop a strong support network, to be resilient and to persevere – essential skills and traits that cannot be given a grade – I guarantee you they will struggle.

August 6, 2025
Unlocking Your Personal Growth: Motivations and Expectations

Throughout our lives, we are constantly asked, “What do you want to do?” “What are your goals?” and “What do you expect to achieve?” These aren’t just questions in a job interview or at a parent-teacher conference; they are at the heart of our motivations and expectations.

Motivations: The Source of Your Personal Growth Blueprint

Motivations are the “why” behind your work. Think of them as the desire that inspires you as the architect of your personal growth —the deep, personal reasons you to start your personal growth journey in the first place.

Why do you wake up every morning and choose to work hard? Is it to solve a problem that fascinates you, to help others, for financial security, or to gain recognition? The reasons we tackle any task are our motivations. Knowing what truly motivates you is the difference between building a life that fulfills you and simply going through the motions. Without understanding your motivations, you risk creating a blueprint that someone else designed for you, leaving you feeling empty even after you’ve “finished” the job. Your motivations are your fuel. They provide the passion and perseverance necessary to overcome challenges and bring a vision to life.

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is deeply personal and originates from within us. It is a dynamic force that drives us to participate in activities simply for the joy and satisfaction they bring. This type of motivation is closely tied to our dreams and aspirations. It is what pushes us to achieve personal goals, pursue our passions, and continuously work to improve ourselves. When you’re driven by what you truly want and value, not just other people’s demands, you feel in control and that you’re making your own choices.

Extrinsic Motivation

On the other hand, extrinsic motivation comes from outside influences and the rewards they offer. You do the activity not because you enjoy it, but because of what you’ll get from it, whether that’s something you can touch or something less tangible. These benefits could include things like grades, praise, recognition, money, or social status. While extrinsic motivation can be a useful tool for achieving specific goals, it is important to recognize that it can also have its limitations. If we completely rely on extrinsic motivation, not on our desires and expectations, it can leave us feeling unsatisfied, empty, even though we have achieved the benefits we were seeking.

How They Relate to Each Other

What really drives us comes from both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. We might do things just because they make us feel good or because we’re curious (that’s intrinsic). Or, we might do things for external reasons, like getting a bonus or to get an “A” on a report card (that’s extrinsic). Usually, it’s a mix of both. Take getting a master’s degree, for instance, you might want the opportunity to learn and grow (intrinsic), but you may also think about the better job opportunities the degree provides and the more money you can make (extrinsic).

Striking a balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is often the key to achieving long-term success and happiness. While external rewards can provide a temporary boost, it is the internal drive and passion that sustains us over time. It is important to cultivate your intrinsic motivation by identifying activities that you genuinely enjoy and find meaningful. This may involve exploring our interests, discovering your passions, and setting personal goals that align with your values.

To truly understand our motivations, we must also practice the art of self-reflection. This means asking yourself tough questions about what drives you, what rewards are you seeking, and if your motivations align with your fundamental values. As you grow, your motivations change, so it’s an ongoing process. You’ll need to regularly check if what drives you still aligns with your goals and helps you feel good overall.

When we get to know ourselves better and understand what really motivates us, we can make smarter decisions, set goals that truly matter, and live a life that feels more deliberate and fulfilling. Just remember, real motivation comes from within, and that inner drive is what helps us reach our full potential.

Expectations: The Specifications of Your Personal Growth Blueprint

While motivations explain the “why,” expectations clarify the “what” and “how much,” serving as precise specifications on a blueprint. Expectations come from two sources: external expectations, which are standards set by others, like our parents’ expectations for us or a boss’s performance objectives, which represents what the world anticipates from you. Internal expectations, which are the standards you impose on yourself, such as desired grades, work quality, or personal values, representing the standards you uphold for yourself.

As the architect of your personal growth, you must be keenly aware of both. You cannot build a solid structure without a clear plan. Your expectations provide the necessary direction and the measurable goals that turn your motivations into real actions.

External Motivations

Throughout our lives, external expectations are placed upon us by others. During childhood and our teenage years, these expectations primarily come from parents and teachers, who set standards for how well we do in school, our behavior, and how we act in social settings. As we enter adulthood, the sources of external expectations broaden to include employers, people we work with, friends, partners, and society in general. These can include a wide range of areas, such as our career success, being stable financially, our relationships, and meeting society’s expectations.

It’s great to get guidance and motivation from others, but remember that what others expect isn’t always what we really want or value. Trying to make everyone happy can leave you feeling overwhelmed, not good enough, and like you’ve lost control. It’s important to figure out which external expectations are worth chasing and which ones you should politely pass on, always putting your own well-being and personal growth first.

Internal Expectations

Our internal expectations originate from our personal values, goals, and aspirations, reflecting our beliefs about our capabilities. These internal expectations span various aspects of life, including personal growth, career success, healthy living, our relationships, and our creative pursuits. While they can be a powerful motivator, driving us to excel, it’s vital that that our internal expectations remain realistic.

Let’s be honest, most of us, myself included, have at some point in our lives created unrealistic expectations about how quickly we should be able to master something – studying for an exam, getting a promotion, completing a training course. Perhaps it’s “I expect to be paid ‘x’ number of dollars for working as a (fill in the blank) because they’re lucky to have me.” Or, “I shouldn’t have to start at the bottom and work my way up, because they’re lucky to have me.”

Unattainable standards or expecting instant success can lead to frustration and a sense of failure. It is crucial to be patient with yourself, practice self-compassion, acknowledge that progress requires time and effort, remember to embrace a growth mindset, and celebrate minor achievements to keep motivated.

How They Relate to Each Other

What we expect from ourselves often comes from outside sources like what society tells us, educational standards, and seeing what other people have achieved. It’s important to know yourself and your aspirations, and consider just where these expectations come from. Do they actually fit with what we value and love, or are we just trying to please others and get their approval?

How we feel about ourselves, our self-worth, and self-esteem really gets shaped by a combination of what we expect of ourselves and what others expect of us. When we meet or even go beyond those expectations, it feels great. But if we miss the mark, it can lead to feeling down, ashamed, or just not good enough.

Remember that your value as a person isn’t tied to always meeting every expectation, whether it’s something we put on ourselves or something someone else expects. You’re growing and changing all the time, and hitting roadblocks or messing up is just part of the deal. By being kind to yourself, accepting who you are, and focusing on what truly drives you from the inside, you can build a strong sense of self-worth that will stick with you, no matter what others think or how much pressure we feel.

The Role of Our Aspirations

Knowing what you want, your aspirations, is key to setting your own expectations. When your expectations come from inside you, they lead to lasting happiness. But if they’re just based on what others think, that happiness won’t stick around. To find balance, make sure your goals match your aspirations, what you truly important to you. Be proud of what you achieve, even if no one else is cheering, and be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned. Always put your values, passions, and goals first.

Motivations, Expectations, and Your Blueprint for Personal Growth

The true strength of motivations and expectations is how they interact with each other. Motivations provide vision and energy, while expectations offer the set of instructions on our blueprint for personal growth.

Personal growth occurs when your internal motivations are in harmony with your chosen expectations. This alignment is key to truly designing your growth blueprint. For example, if you love helping people, you might volunteer or work in public service. Or, if you’re motivated to become an expert, you’ll naturally keep learning and improving your skills.

Remember, in the end, life is not just about ticking off a bunch of external boxes on a to-do list. It’s about really understanding what drives you and then picking goals that help you build a life that feels truly meaningful and personal.

August 3, 2025