Don’t Have Time for 10,000 Hours Toward Mastery? Here’s How to Succeed Anyway
Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-Hour Rule, popularized in his book Outliers: The Story of Success, suggests that becoming world-class in any field requires 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. This equates to about 3 hours a day for nearly 9 years. But what if you don’t have that kind of time?
Josh Kaufman, author of The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything Fast and The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business, offers a refreshing alternative. According to Kaufman, you can achieve significant progress in as little as 20 hours of focused practice. If you’re eager to learn a new skill or master a subject but are daunted by the 10,000-hour challenge, here’s how you can streamline your learning process and achieve success more efficiently:
Break It Down
To make any goal or skill more manageable, start by breaking it into smaller, actionable steps. Identify the essential tools and skills required for each step and focus on mastering them one by one. This approach makes the task less overwhelming and more achievable.
Learn How to Correct Yourself
Gather three to five reliable resources related to what you want to learn—be it books, videos, or other materials. Use these resources to guide your practice, but avoid letting them become a procrastination tool. Instead, dive into learning and use the resources to identify areas where you need improvement.
Remove Distractions
Distractions can significantly impede your progress. Identify what’s distracting you from your learning goals and use strategies to minimize these interruptions. Katherine Milkman’s concept of “temptation bundling” suggests pairing a new activity with something you already enjoy. For example, find ways to make learning more enjoyable or set up a dedicated, distraction-free space for practice.
Make a Commitment
At the start of any learning journey, it’s normal to feel frustrated by your initial lack of skill. Kaufman emphasizes the importance of committing to at least 20 hours of practice to overcome this initial hurdle. By sticking with your practice through the early stages, you’ll push past feelings of inadequacy and make meaningful progress.
By adopting these strategies, you can make significant strides in acquiring new skills without needing to invest a decade of your life. With a focused approach, breaking tasks into manageable chunks, and committing to consistent practice, mastery is within reach.