Practice Makes Better, But Not Necessarily Much Better
A great article that further debunks the “10 years, 10,000 hours” theory of deliberate practice. Yes, practice makes you better, but, according to a recent study, not that much better.
Read MoreFor Athletic Success, You Pay Now or Pay Later
Just about every sport has an off-season during which a key focus should be on building your fitness that acts as the foundation for all of your other sports efforts. Because all aspects of sports preparation have become so sophisticated in the last decade or so, regardless of your sport, without the necessary strength, agility, and stamina, you have little chance of achieving your athletic goals no matter how good you are technically, tactically, or mentally. The problem is that, for most young athletes, conditioning isn't all that fun, in fact, it can be downright tiring, boring, and, yes, painful. Which means that you may not be entirely psyched to work out as much or as hard as you should. I heard this complaint twice recently from young athletes I’m working with. Both knew they should be in the gym regularly, but when it came time to head out the door, they just couldn't pull the trigger as often as they know they should. Plus, when they got to the gym, they just couldn't seem to push themselves as hard as they knew they should. If you feel this way, don’t feel too bad because even the most successful and committed athletes don’t always enjoy their time in the gym. Even for the world’s best athletes, conditioning isn't always fun and it is usually really painful. But each of them make a choice and you can too.
Read MoreTaylor Featured in Article about Video Game Violence on The Daily Beast
I was just interviewed for an article by The Daily Beast that described recent research that found that playing violent video games actually created feelings of guilt, produced an increase in moral sensitivity, and might promote prosocial benavior. I am skeptical, to be sure.
Read MoreFascinating Article about Being ‘Cool’ at 13 (Hint: Not a Good Thing)
A fascinating article about a study that examined so-called cool kids as they entered their teenage years lost their way by the time they reached early adulthood. ‘Pseudomature’ behavior that resulted in popularity and being labeled ‘cool’ at age 13 was predictive of all sorts of problems at age 23. My takeaway is that the rush […]
Read MoreIs Compassion Children’s Most Admirable Quality?
Think of all of the qualities that you admire most in others and that you would most like to instill in your children. My guess is that compassion is high on your list. Why is that? Perhaps because, like diamonds, compassion is a rare gem in a society in which selfishness and disregard for others are as common as rhinestones. Consider what compassion is. Most fundamentally, it is “not about me.” Compassion involves being aware of and caring about the needs of others. It means wanting to help others who are less fortunate than you. Compassion has so many other wonderful attributes associated with it, for example, benevolence, good will, unselfishness, and empathy, just to name a few. If these qualities were ingredients to be mixed and baked, you would have the recipe for about as fine a person as you could imagine.
Read MoreTaylor Interview about Kids and Technology
I was recently interviewed by Michael Stelzner on mykidsadventures.com, a web site devoted to helping families find healthy alternatives to digital entertainment. You can listen to the interview here.
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