Make use of Gladwell’s 10000 Hour Rule

If you have yet to read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success, do give it great consideration. It will refine your mindset and propel you forward in your life.  In this book, Gladwell explains the 10,000 hour rule which, in essence, states that you need to practice for around 10,000 hours to be successful in any field; no doubt, finding an obsession is a critical part of your success.  To make good use of Gladwell’s inspiration and your 10,000 hours, also keep the following in mind.

Practice makes perfect © Russ Glasson

Realize where you are a natural

If when you start something, you feel you are a natural, then your first several hundred hours will be much more productive than a person who is not a natural.  This means a natural at 100 hours can be compared to a non-natural at 1000 hours.  The natural will continue to have an edge if they are equally obsessed but the closer you get to 10,000 hours, the less evident it will be.  Never-the-less, if you find you are a natural at something, use it to your advantage.  Discover where you are a natural and become obsessed with it.

Knowing when to be fearless and learning from your fears

Fear has incredible power over everyone.  For one, it can influence you subconscious and create hidden barriers that limit your achievement.  Here is a little case study to better know when to be fearless and to learn about fears.

FEARLESS: On day one of rock climbing, my kids displayed no fear and quickly became very good rock climbers for their age. In comparison, the kids that displayed fear often would climb only 10 feet off the ground and soon would end their exposure to rock climbing.

LEARNING FROM FEAR: when my kids are not tied to a rope and they encounter a very difficult move, my kids have displayed fears and have cried as a result.  However, they have rebounded quickly from between a split second to 10 minutes.  (FYI, my kids were never in any danger though they might have felt that way.)  If my kids let fear consume them, they would only achieve intermediate ability.

When you understand something, fears are the furthest thing from you and you are able to progress quickly — you have found something to pursue.  Like my kids, they should pursue rock climbing because they are fearless.

When fears come, do they defeat you or are you able to rebound?  If you are able to rebound with renewed vigor, then you have found something to pursue.  Otherwise, identify your fears as they will lead you to discovering an area of development, which helps you overcome your fears and makes you a much more capable person.  Never suppress your fears because they will grow and destroy you.

It’s personal

The reason why you are involved with something must be because it is personal — it is something that completes you as a person.  If you are doing it for social acceptance or anything else, your heart is in the wrong place and you will eventually move onto something else, ultimately a misuse of your time.

Perfection excites you

As you progress into your 10,000 hours, you will be repeating the same thing over and over.  If it excites you, then keep at it.  If the repetition is tedious, explore something new.  This is one of the greater challenges of any obsession; as you progress, you might find it isn’t quite right.  Be sure to explore and don’t get confused by fear.

Breaking the mould

If you never attempt to break the mould, you will never release your full potential and you will become very good at mediocrity.  Break out of your shell.  Take some risks, find a mentor, work with great teams.

Take risks

This is related to fears and breaking the mould.  If fear defeats you, then you will not be a risk taker and you will never break a mould.  Taking risks should be done with confidence, without suppressing your fears.  Fears are good for you as they keep you wise.

Did I miss anything?  Please let me know.

Also read

Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success

Related posts:

1. Obsessions: make them work for you
2. New job? Consider this career development plan