Everything you’ve heard about the 10,000-hour rule is wrong.

The rule says it takes 10,000 hours to reach the top of any skill with deliberate, focused practice. 

Anders Ericsson, a professor of psychology at Florida State University, came up with this rule. 

He focused on world-class athletes, musicians and chess grandmasters at the pinnacle of their careers.

In 2007, Malcolm Gladwell’s book ‘Outliers’ came and popularised it, making this rule a norm. 

The rule got simplified to the point where articles and posts started saying that it takes 10,000 hours to learn anything new. 

No, it doesn’t take 10,000 hours to learn anything new. 

I tried learning French through Duolingo. (Because I have a love for languages) 

I didn’t know a word of French, and I studied it for 30 mins every day for two months. 

With 30 hours of practice, I went from knowing nothing about French to understanding the basics because a lot is similar to Spanish. 

So, if a skill interests you, don’t imagine the glorious day already where you’re an expert. You won’t even be able to start. 

Instead:
– Deconstruct the skill
– Break it into small parts
– Deliberate, focused practice 
– Set a tiny target for each day 

Start with something fundamental; once you’re in the flow, you’ll get better. 

Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash