The Science of Motivation
The United States Military Academy is an elite, selective institution with an acceptance rate of less than 10 percent. Despite this, not everyone who[...]
Erin Wildermuth
Posts by Erin Wildermuth
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Tackling Large Projects
My sister is obsessed with games. Video games, board games, role-playing games – she loves them all. She will readily admit that the pure glee she derives[...]
Erin Wildermuth
You Say You Want a Resolution
For all of the champagne, new diets, and gym memberships folks are about to experience, only about eight percent of resolution-takers succeed in attaining[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Record-Breaking
May 6, 1954 was a cold and windy day in Oxford, England. It was far from ideal conditions for a race, but it was also the day Roger Banister broke a record. He[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Gauging Time
This morning I had a list of four sizable items to accomplish. I knew it was an ambitious plan, but I tackled the day with confidence. I was determined to be a[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Teambuilding
“Tell me about a time you worked with a team.” It is a common interview question, one many of us have heard before. If you’re like me, a flood of past[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Coaching
I met Dave at a residential behavioral health center in Arizona. An older man with stories to match his years, he was great with the clients and even better[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Decision Fatigue
Think back to the last decision you made. What were your options? How did you choose what to do? Most importantly, was the outcome of this decision[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Play
As a kid who wasn’t allowed to watch television, the focus of my childhood was play. The games are too many to count. There was, for example, a little girl[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Rituals
What do you do when you wake up in the morning? Do you brush your teeth, take a shower, and eat a bowl of oatmeal? Maybe you go for a run before the rest of[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Reading
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “reader,” you read all the time. Signs, instructions, articles, bills, blogs, newspaper headlines and grocery lists[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Sabbaticals
I used to take yearly sabbaticals. For three glorious months each summer my time was more or less my own. I did whatever took my fancy: running around the yard[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Curiosity
Curiosity starts early. Children throw cups from highchairs over and over, testing gravity and their parents. They repeat the same noises and ask the same[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Intuition
Your intuition is a lot like Shawn Spencer. If you’re not familiar with the hit TV show Psych, Spencer is a private detective with a twist: he has everyone[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Words
The idea of self-talk elicits images of less-than-sane people muttering to themselves as they stumble about less-than-safe streets. I try not to look like that[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Naps
My two-year-old is asleep for the third time today. I thought I had developed a clever disciplinary method when I started telling him that cranky kids need[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Putting Pen to Paper
One of my earliest memories involves a handwriting struggle. My class had been tasked with writing stories. I love stories. My masterpiece, about accidentally[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Meditation
Three years ago I boarded a crowded, somewhat dirty bus and set off for Wat Suan Mokkh, a Thai forest monastery. The grounds featured giant monitor lizards and[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Overwork
In the 2007 film “Music and Lyrics,” an absent-minded lyricist played by Drew Barrymore drives her high-strung musical partner a little crazy by[...]
Erin Wildermuth
Prevent Fear from Keeping You Stuck
Fear is universal. The gymnast fears stumbling instead of sticking the perfect landing. The singer fears a moment of wavering pitch. The serious speaker fears[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Celebration
My life is full of celebration. There are happy dances for finished dishes, celebratory puppy cuddles for when our rescue dog makes it around the block without[...]
Erin Wildermuth
The Science of Partnership and Success
Before starting Praxis, Isaac Morehouse needed an investor. He didn’t need an investment of money or of time. He didn’t need a website built, a curriculum[...]
Erin Wildermuth
Inside the Surprising New Science of Gratitude
It is easier to be thankful during Thanksgiving. The name alone inspires a sense of appreciation. Mix that general feeling with turkey, good wine, family, and[...]
Erin Wildermuth