A Life Coach Lesson That I Learned in a Physics Class
Dean Page is a certified life coach who is a two-time American Taekwondo Association World Champion and a three-time cancer survivor. These unique experiences have given Dean both strong empathy for clients who are facing challenges as well as an understanding of the mindset of the high-performance individuals who want to be the very best.
In this insightful reflection, Certified Life Coach Dean Page explores how lessons from physics and astronomy can illuminate personal growth and problem-solving. By applying the concept of “angular resolution,” he reveals how clarity, not magnification, is the key to truly seeing opportunities and solutions in life.
The Physics of life
As part of the requirements for my Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership degree, I chose to take Astronomy and Physics for my science requirements. This was a surprise to some, considering how, at that time, mathematics was certainly not my superpower. I was, however, fascinated with the planets, stars, and the mysteries of the universe. What was interesting was that as I learned principles of physics and the uniqueness of the various planets, I realized how many of those same elements could be applied to other areas of life, such as the effectiveness of life coaching.
How not to see the stars
As I learned about the various characteristics of the planets, I considered purchasing a telescope so that I could experience the wonders firsthand. I couldn’t wait to personally observe the details that were represented in the photos in my textbook. Naturally, I tried to find a telescope that had the greatest magnification. After all, with the incredible distances between the stars and the Earth, magnification must be the most important mechanical specification, right? Well, it turns out, not so much. While it is true that it is important, it is the light-collecting area and the “angular resolution” that are most crucial.
The single headlight to two headlights trick
Have you ever been driving at night on a long highway and noticed in the distance that there was a motorcycle heading toward you in the opposite lane? You naturally deduce that by the fact that you are seeing a single headlight. What you may be surprised to find out is that it is not a single-headlight motorcycle, but a double-headlight car or even a tractor-trailer. How can that happen when your 20/20 eyesight only saw one headlight? Why was it one until it reached a certain point of distance, and then you could see the two similar but different headlights?
What does angular resolution have to do with me?
The basic definition of angular resolution can be presented as “the smallest angular separation that two point-like objects can have and still be seen as distinct points of light rather than a single point of light.” In the car headlight example, there are two distinctly different lights, but at specific long distances, your eyes cannot capture enough light to be able to dissect the different lights and consequently perceive them as one light.
Here is the surprising part. If you were to add magnification in that scenario, you wouldn’t be able to separate the lights any better. Instead, you would end up only magnifying the blurry light, causing even more lack of definition.
A telescope approach to problem solving
Ironically, this is often the approach that we take to problem-solving. Instead of trying to distinguish the specifics of our problems, we tend to take the proverbial magnifying glass approach. Perhaps even more accurately, we tend to take a telescope approach. We magnify a problem that we don’t fully see the details of, and as a result, we end up with more of a giant blur than when we first started.
Charles Kettering is credited with saying that “a problem well-defined is half-solved.” We tend to do that in magnification when perhaps we should take an angular resolution approach instead, which leads to a clearer definition of the problem.
Magnification sees that the economy is in a downturn, that relationships always end up estranged, or that you always strike out when the game is on the line. An angular resolution approach would look to see what new opportunities are presenting themselves during the current market downturn, recognize that there are patterns within the people that you tend to be drawn into bad relationships with, and when you are up to bat, ask yourself, are you concentrating on getting on base, or are you focused on not striking out?
Problem-solving can be like a powerful telescope that has high levels of magnification in combination with effective levels of angular resolution.
Perspective isn’t just looking at the sky, it is seeing the individual stars
Like a powerful telescope, developing your ability to get a clear perspective can mean recognizing the details of the individual stars from the rest of your galaxy. This is also a key that unlocks the beauty of the stars of the universe, as well as your potential.
Read more from Dean Page
Dean Page, Certified Life Coach & High Performance Coach
Dean Page is a certified life coach who is a two-time American Taekwondo Association World Champion, a multiple-time “Top Ten Competitor”, and a three-time cancer survivor. After suffering the side effects of "chemo brain", which affected his memory and the ability to learn, Dean determined that he would learn to learn again. He continued his education, graduating with a GPA that resulted in invitations for membership in multiple collegiate honor societies. These unique experiences have given Dean both strong empathy for clients who are facing overwhelming challenges as well as an understanding of the mindset of the high-performance individuals who are not satisfied until they are the very best.
