Have you ever heard of the 10,000-hour rule? It is a “rule” stating that you must spend 10,000 hours practicing a task to attain mastery. To be one of the best. The 10,000-hour rule was popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers.”
To put that in context. Let’s say you applied this to your need to learn basket weaving. You would have to practice weaving baskets for 416.67 days around the clock. So, in practical terms. If you spent eight hours a day to match this equivalent, it would take you 3.42 years to get masterful in your weaving. Every day. Eight hours per day. Weave, weave, weave.
The 10,000-hour rule says that this level of practice holds the secret to great success in any field. You hear this thing all the time on motivational websites. Instructors will cite this rule in souped-up workshops and classes.
That’s a lot of training when you think about it. I mean, earning your Bachelor’s takes four years. That is with four summers off. So, really, three years of schooling. Say you major in Biology. Well, you are not spending eight hours per day learning biology. You are spread across many subjects, like literature, religion, philosophy, math, and such. So. Certainly, by this “rule,” you would not be the master of anything as you walk across the stage and accept your degree.
And then there are other things to consider. When I played basketball in high school, our coach used to say, “Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent.” And this is true. If you are terrible at shooting free throws and you want to get better, you decide to apply the 10,000 hour rule. BUT. If the technique you are practicing is terrible, you will still be a shoddy free-throw shooter. Repetition doesn’t necessarily make you better. It just makes you permanent. And tired.
In other words, to improve at something and to become an expert, you have to “smart” practice.
You have to pay attention to improving form and skill, usually with someone guiding you. Like when you learn to play the banjo, or something. You need a banjo-ninja to guide you.
And you need that feedback. To see that you are getting your technique right. That is the big reason why dancers use mirrors. And also to check their hair all pulled back tight making their eyes kind of squinty. Anyway, doing these things with long hours will make you world-class level.
It’s not only about the hours. It’s about the form, the technique, the mastery.
In the end, the 10,000-hour rule has been debated and criticized since its introduction. Not just by me, but by many people. Some argue that the number of hours required for mastery depends greatly on the field. Say ballet vs. pinball. And there are other factors like individual talent, and as I mentioned the “quality” of practice.
It is kind of like the old saying goes, “quality, not quantity.”
One skill I wish everyone would practice is kindness. For 10,000 hours. If we all spent our days working on our kindness techniques, the world would be, well, a much kinder, gentler place.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
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“Practice like you’ve never won. Perform like you’ve never lost.” – Bernard F. Asuncion
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“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” – Malcolm Gladwell
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“The more I practice, the luckier I get.” – Gary Player
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The 10,000 hour rule might not really rule
