Malcolm Gladwell said it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything. 10,000 hours. I was reading Peak by Robert Pool and Anders Ericsson, where Gladwell got his data. They made a clear distinction. It is NOT the 10,000 hours that makes the person an expert. It is 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. Not just any practice, but DELIBERATE practice. Say I wanted to be a scratch golfer, but I’m 57 and never played golf. Nor am I terribly coordinated. I could play golf all day, every day, for the rest of my life and never be a great player. If, on the other hand, I worked diligently with a coach, practiced regularly, incorporated all of the tips and suggested the coach gave me into my game, I could improve bit by bit. As I got better, I would eventually need a better coach, and the experience of playing on different courses, etc. I could become a good golfer.
See the difference? You are not going to get better unless you are making a FOCUSED effort to get better. You are working with a coach, practicing diligently, changing the routine, taking advice and criticism into account, and moving forward. Vince Lombardi got it right when he said, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”
What does this say to you? Is there some area of your life you’re working on improving? Have you reached a plateau somewhere and are wondering what is going on? Or how to move ahead? Often times we know the answers, we’re just not willing to do the work. We know the answers, we’re just not willing to do the work. (I had to say that twice…). We know what we need to do… but something is keeping us from actually doing it. We see this all the time. People want to lose weight. There’s no great secret to weight loss. Buying another book or app isn’t going to make the difference. You’re not going to learn some sort of miracle answer to all of your questions. You KNOW the answers. You KNOW the way. You choose a different way.
Look at people who smoke. They KNOW that smoking leads to death. (Frankly I have found that life leads to death… it’s just one of those unavoidable things I can’t get over…). But that knowledge doesn’t keep them from smoking. They choose to smoke.
Knowing the answers, knowing the way, doesn’t make things any easier. We still have to do the work. And Ericsson and Pool have filled an entire book on research as to what it takes to be an expert. But most people aren’t interested in doing all the work. Would you want to swim as much as Michael Phelps has? It’s a LOT of work! A huge commitment!
But think about it. Where ARE you willing to put in the work? Where do YOU really want to excel? Maybe you want to be the best Humorous Speaker at your Toastmaster’s club. Maybe you want to be the best networker because you love putting people together. Maybe you want to be the most improved member of your bridge club. Whatever it is, what you really want to do, see what it feels like to go all in! Go all in and practice DILIGENTLY! Put your full self in it!
And maybe it won’t happen right away… not next week or next month. It is really helpful to keep a log so you can follow your progress as you go.
For me, I’m working on increasing my readership. (It helps if you’ve gotten THIS far!) I send out this blog every Monday morning, San Francisco time. (Oh for the old days when I sent it out first thing every Monday morning Paris, France time!) Being able to chart the growth of my list has been really encouraging! People read it and pass it along to friends who subscribe (on my website, creatively named AliciaBerberich.com!) I am learning different ways to build readership, how to develop catchy titles so I get more opens, it’s all an interesting science project to me. It’s what I love to do. I’m willing to put in the work because I love it!
Just like with water aerobics. I love teaching water aerobics! I love the idea that I get paid to do what I love! Oh the thrill of it all.
But who cares about me! This is about YOU!!!! So, pick what YOU love and put yourself in it 100% and use the knowledge of diligent practice to take your level to a whole new height! See what you can do! Kick butt!!
And know that hey, only 9,999 hours more, and you can be a MASTER!! A Master Practicer!
Which brings me to the point, the real point: it is not about the destination. The destination is an endpoint but those are forever moving as we get more information along the way. The joy is in the journey. Even when it’s work. You must enjoy the journey. It sounds so trite, but I know you agree. Life is a great journey which ends in death. Life is not about death; it’s about the journey from here to there. And everything in between. So enjoy! See what great things you can do during the between!