“Super-successful people aren’t the most gifted people in their fields. They just work, study, and practice more than the competition.” – Jack Canfield
Malcolm Gladwell’s brilliant book Outliers repeatedly talks about the 10 000 hour rule, proposing that the key to success in any field is mostly a matter of practising for around 10 000 hours.
One example he gives is The Beatles, who played live gigs in Hamburg, Germany, over 1 200 times from 1960 to 1964, amassing more than 10 000 hours of playing time.
By the time they returned to Liverpool from Hamburg, they sounded like no other band on earth, making them a massive “overnight success”. However, without the 10 000 hours of practice and preparation, we would probably never have heard of them.
Most people are intimidated by a commitment as huge as 10 000 hours. It is a huge undertaking, but the potential rewards are enormous. But here’s the thing, regardless of what you decide to do, the 10 000 hours are going to pass.
You need to ask yourself the critical question: How will you use yours?
“I haven’t failed; I just found 10 000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison