Why I Studied Physics and How it Benefits My Life Today

I’m speaking today to a very high pressure audience.

5th graders.

My daughter’s class is now doing a unit on physics and she’s very excited about it. Since I majored in physics, she asked if I would come talk to her class.

To kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, I decided to make this week’s blog about why I chose to study physics and how it influences my life today.

I went to college with a grand plan to major in math and political science. Why? I liked both subjects and figured it would be a good combination for my then-planned career path — law.

The math major required two semesters of physics, so I decided to take those freshman year and get that requirement out of the way. Two things happened — I found the subject matter of physics way more interesting, and physics was brought to life by a couple of amazing teachers. (Notice how those two things are highly correlated.)

So I switched majors and spent my undergraduate years studying mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, circuit design, and quantum mechanics. And instead of a second major, I took a bunch of classes in religion, political science, and history.

I was really curious and driven by a few core questions:

How does the universe work?

What does it all mean?

How do things fit into a social, historical, and political context?

In my senior year, I took a graduate level class in quantum mechanics. I was the only undergrad in a class full of hard-core Ph.D. students. I quickly realized that I did not want to pursue an academic career in physics, and then shifted into new areas of inquiry around economics and finance that ultimately led me to pursue a career in business. The irony is that now, as an executive coach to CEOs and entrepreneurs, a lot of my work deals with psychology.

Key lessons from my physics education that impact my work and life today:

1. Law of Cause and Effect.  Physics starts with an observation of effects, and then seeks to identify root causes. To truly be effective, as in, to have the desired effect, we need to deal with the real root causes of effects. The best business leaders really get this concept and do not spend time or energy on band-aid solutions. They do the heavy lifting to get to root causes.

2. System thinking. Physics teaches you to think systematically. That approach is very valuable in a business environment where systems exist at many levels. To be able to visualize, design, and influence systems is a great skill.

3. Curiosity trumps difficulty. A few weeks ago, a colleague asked me how I got through the hard parts of learning physics. My answer? Curiosity. When you must know the answer — not for a test, but to really know it, then your curiosity will drive you to do the hard work.

4. Create a big grand plan, but let go of the details. Pivot to your interests and immerse yourself. I thought I had a grand plan until I found something cooler. So I switched gears and went all in. Being all in in a field you are really interested in will get you better results and opportunities than being half-in in a field that others tell you to follow.

5. Be a Renaissance person. Learn about lots of things. Life is full of amazing opportunities in many fields of inquiry. Go deep in one or two areas, but broad in many areas. This will enrich your life.

P.S. While getting ready for the presentation, I did come across a cool list of the top ten physicists — worth checking out who they are and their major contributions.