I have mixed emotions about the 10,000 Hour Rule explained (brilliantly) in Malcom Gladwell’s book Outliers.
A quick refresher just in case you haven’t heard about the 10,000 hour rule. Over the last 20 years, scientists have been trying to measure how important talent really is. After testing and evaluating virtuosos in dozens of fields they discovered that “The Best of the Best” have invested 10,000 hours of deliberate practice in their field. Even geniuses with innate talent must put in their 10,000 hours too.
On one hand, I’m thrilled that hard work still means something.. But there’s a small problem…10,000 hours is a lot of time.
After all, where on God’s green earth will you find time to practice 10,000 hours at anything?
It gets even more aggravating when it comes to being an authority blogger. If you need 10,000 hours – then this requirement is impossible for most….
Or is it?
Are You Working The Wrong 10,000 Hours?
I believe that most bloggers have been bullied into their topic. Either they are blogging about their day job – which they hate. Or they are blogging about a skill that they are good at but not necessarily passionate about.
So they are blogging about their default interest and not their passion.
If this is ringing true for you then I can see why the 10,000 hour rule is a challenge because you have zero appetite for putting in 10 years practicing to get better.
You see, a mere interest can’t inspire hours worth of obsessive practice. Interest’s don’t keep you up at night trying to get a “little bit better”. But that’s exactly what some Tribe Leaders are trying to do. They are bullying themselves to dig deep and become an expert at what they secretly despise.
This is sad AND completely unnecessary.
The Hidden 10,000 Hours
Right now, you are secretly nurturing a “closet obsession”. It seems minor and routine to you. But it absolutely dominates every free thought you have. For me, its bass fishing. I can’t pass a puddle more than 3 feet deep and 10 feet wide that I won’t try to fish. I think about bass constantly for the last 20 years of my life.
Hmm…
How about you? Is it radio controlled trucks? Bonsai tree pruning, trash day “picking”, playing the harmonica?
Now think about it…haven’t you already been deliberately refining this obsession for years? I suspect that you already have your 10,000 hours invested – you just don’t know it. Now the questions is – why aren’t you using your blog to build a business around that true passion? You already are in expert, now you just have to put in a little time to learn how to tell your story to the world.
By the Way…
Being a spectacular blogger doesn’t require 10,000 hours. The hard part is honing your passion. The writing is something that can be learned (or at least copied) quickly. Trust me.
How to Cheat the 10,000 Hour Rule
Ok, some of you may have just recently discovered your passion. It’s burning in your belly and you want to get good at it quick. Well here’s a little observation buried in the 2nd chapter of Outliers. This passage talks about results of investigating how much time it took for pianists to attain their expertise…
“In fact, by the age of twenty, the elite performers had each totaled ten thousand hours of practice. By contrast, the merely good students had totaled eight thousand hours, and the future music teachers had totaled just four thousand hours”
See that? Just 4,000 hours is all that needed for “teacher” status. Here’s some cold hard truth for you…your audience just needs a teacher. Get to this level first and you’ll attract a huge audience along the way.
That’s 4,000 hours, which you’ve probably already invested.
In case you haven’t here are some tips to get you jumpstarted:
- Get a Coach
Coaches help you zero in on the areas that you need to improve and find gaps in your thinking. This is invaluable since it let’s you skip months (even years) of trial and error. Remember that even Michael Jordan had a coach. - Join or Create a Mastermind
Something incredible happens when you regularly meet and share experiences with like-minded individuals. Studies show that a person’s level of income, skill and happiness is roughly the average of their 5 closest friends. Makes sense. Surround yourself with winners and watch your expertise skyrocket. - Hardwire in Accountability
Unfortunately, people are great at dreaming and horrible at achieving. We all need a push to keep moving ahead. Find someone you trust and respect. Tell them your plan and give them the power to kick your butt if you cheat yourself. This works better if you set aggressive goals. - Build Expert Habits
Identify your goal and set-up a daily ritual that will form into a habit. For bloggers this may be writing a 300 word blog post every day for 5 days. These habits are the secret sauce for quickly gaining expertise. - Force Yourself to Teach (writing)
Nothing turns theory into cold-hard experience than teaching it to someone else. Your blog is a great way to regularly teach your craft to your audience. Better yet, write and promote your posts to get other peoples feedback. - Deliberately Practice to Strengthen Weaknesses
Find exactly what you are great at and get better. Focus all of your attention to performing at your highest level at all times. As a publisher of content, you should focus on your core expertise and writing skills. You can deliberately practice title writing, lead paragraphs, and creative thinking. - Don’t Waste Time on The Small Stuff
One caveat, some weaknesses aren’t worth your attention. If you are really bad at writing a specific type of post, don’t practice for weeks trying to perfect it. It’s not worth it – there are many other options for you to pursue. The key here is to get great at the useful stuff first, everything else can wait.
Quit beating yourself up. It’s likely you have what it takes to get started now. Take a serious look at what you’re current blog and decide if it truly reflects your true passion, If it doesn’t then be realistic about how difficult it will be to get expert status. But if you are blogging about your obsession then full-steam ahead. I bet you are much better than you give yourself credit for.
Talk to Me…
Are you intimidated by the 10,000 hour rule. Are you blogging your passion or your someone else’s interest. Talk to me and I will talk right back 
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About Stanford
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Stanford
Right on the money. Initially I was put off by the title- I just don't think that there are any short cuts to mastery, but your outline is a really useful one.
My recent post Downloads
Stanford
Right on the money. Initially I was put off by the title- I just don't think that there are any short cuts to mastery, but your outline is a really useful one.
My recent post Downloads
You are right there aren't any shortcuts to Mastery. It requires years of deliberate practice. …But passionate people can start sharing their talents before they are masters. Thanks for sticking with the post even though it made your blood boil
You are right there aren't any shortcuts to Mastery. It requires years of deliberate practice. …But passionate people can start sharing their talents before they are masters. Thanks for sticking with the post even though it made your blood boil
And perhaps the teachers whose students needed 10,000 hours were just rotten teachers.
LOL – Now THAT's a perspective that I've never heard before. Need to send it along to gladwell.com!
And perhaps the teachers whose students needed 10,000 hours were just rotten teachers.
And perhaps the teachers whose students needed 10,000 hours were just rotten teachers.
LOL – Now THAT's a perspective that I've never heard before. Need to send it along to gladwell.com!
LOL – Now THAT's a perspective that I've never heard before. Need to send it along to gladwell.com!
I like what Joanna said about the 10,000 hours being right — and I think it's OK to say that, in general, to become truly masterful performer in any field takes dedicated time and intentional practice. If everyone could be great at everything, there'd be no masters, right?
I also like what Erik says about Gladwell talking about the long-tail outliers. That's great context in which to have this discussion. Not all of us want to be masterful. That doesn't mean we can't be meaningful contributors. To whatever it is we apply our hearts, minds, hands and souls to.
Great post, Stan!
My recent post 3 Clues Jedi Listeners Leave
I like what Joanna said about the 10,000 hours being right — and I think it's OK to say that, in general, to become truly masterful performer in any field takes dedicated time and intentional practice. If everyone could be great at everything, there'd be no masters, right?
I also like what Erik says about Gladwell talking about the long-tail outliers. That's great context in which to have this discussion. Not all of us want to be masterful. That doesn't mean we can't be meaningful contributors. To whatever it is we apply our hearts, minds, hands and souls to.
Great post, Stan!
My recent post 3 Clues Jedi Listeners Leave
I like what Joanna said about the 10,000 hours being right — and I think it's OK to say that, in general, to become truly masterful performer in any field takes dedicated time and intentional practice. If everyone could be great at everything, there'd be no masters, right?
I also like what Erik says about Gladwell talking about the long-tail outliers. That's great context in which to have this discussion. Not all of us want to be masterful. That doesn't mean we can't be meaningful contributors. To whatever it is we apply our hearts, minds, hands and souls to.
Great post, Stan!
My recent post 3 Clues Jedi Listeners Leave
Great article Stanford. I have actually read outliers myself. And I truly enjoy the points you make. If you are blogging about something that you are not passionate about then maybe you should change your topic.
I do think that the 10,000 hour rule applies to most things. That doesn't mean that you can't become a great and well-known blogger without 10,000 hours of practice. I think you can.
My recent post The Perfect WordPress Theme for Affiliates
Great article Stanford. I have actually read outliers myself. And I truly enjoy the points you make. If you are blogging about something that you are not passionate about then maybe you should change your topic.
I do think that the 10,000 hour rule applies to most things. That doesn't mean that you can't become a great and well-known blogger without 10,000 hours of practice. I think you can.
My recent post The Perfect WordPress Theme for Affiliates
Great article Stanford. I have actually read outliers myself. And I truly enjoy the points you make. If you are blogging about something that you are not passionate about then maybe you should change your topic.
I do think that the 10,000 hour rule applies to most things. That doesn't mean that you can't become a great and well-known blogger without 10,000 hours of practice. I think you can.
My recent post The Perfect WordPress Theme for Affiliates
Thanks Stanford. I only first heard of the 10,000 hour rule a few weeks ago on a TV show. I have to say that I see a lot of truth in it, and I don’t really know if there is a true way to ‘cheat’ it. Knowledge is power though, and the more we understand ourselves the better we will be.
Thanks Stanford. I only first heard of the 10,000 hour rule a few weeks ago on a TV show. I have to say that I see a lot of truth in it, and I don’t really know if there is a true way to ‘cheat’ it. Knowledge is power though, and the more we understand ourselves the better we will be.
Thanks Stanford. I only first heard of the 10,000 hour rule a few weeks ago on a TV show. I have to say that I see a lot of truth in it, and I don’t really know if there is a true way to ‘cheat’ it. Knowledge is power though, and the more we understand ourselves the better we will be.
great advice Stanford. Thanks!
My recent post Better Brain Function Associated With Moderate Wine Drinking
great advice Stanford. Thanks!
My recent post Better Brain Function Associated With Moderate Wine Drinking
great advice Stanford. Thanks!
My recent post Better Brain Function Associated With Moderate Wine Drinking
Thought-provoking article. I'm a teacher but already have the 10,000 hours in. Should I find another passion to write about? Tempting. I think a lot of the skills developed in those 10,000 hours are transferable, particularly in the coaching field. Motivating players, developing exercises and lesson plans, strategies for winning–these things can be transferred to other fields. A writer's skill is very transferable. Think of all the fields in which it can be applied. If you have taken the time to read all the great novels, you are probably half way there. Yes, I agree with you. The full 10,000 is not needed.
My recent post Martial Arts Classes- 79 Reasons Why Kids Love Them
Thought-provoking article. I'm a teacher but already have the 10,000 hours in. Should I find another passion to write about? Tempting. I think a lot of the skills developed in those 10,000 hours are transferable, particularly in the coaching field. Motivating players, developing exercises and lesson plans, strategies for winning–these things can be transferred to other fields. A writer's skill is very transferable. Think of all the fields in which it can be applied. If you have taken the time to read all the great novels, you are probably half way there. Yes, I agree with you. The full 10,000 is not needed.
My recent post Martial Arts Classes- 79 Reasons Why Kids Love Them
Thought-provoking article. I'm a teacher but already have the 10,000 hours in. Should I find another passion to write about? Tempting. I think a lot of the skills developed in those 10,000 hours are transferable, particularly in the coaching field. Motivating players, developing exercises and lesson plans, strategies for winning–these things can be transferred to other fields. A writer's skill is very transferable. Think of all the fields in which it can be applied. If you have taken the time to read all the great novels, you are probably half way there. Yes, I agree with you. The full 10,000 is not needed.
My recent post Martial Arts Classes- 79 Reasons Why Kids Love Them
You did a fantastic job with this blog.
I have been isolating factors that make musicians truly great and the bottom line is that is what they do, all the time! So they have 10,000 hours by the time they are 25 years old and you wonder how they got so great at playing the kazoo… so much so that women swoon.
You definitely need that desire and burning passion, but I also feel that your WILL trumps all others will, so much that you will be homeless so you don't have to work and pay bills just so you can do what you "will" at all times.
I see the best programmers, the best musicians, the best of most everything ignoring the social requirements and locking themselves in their parents basement for years.
I think the one thing that will screw you is losing focus. These people picked one thing. Sure you can master a couple of things in your life (well, maybe 5) but you can only really master 1 thing… for the next 10 years… so pick wisely, and focus.
You did a fantastic job with this blog.
I have been isolating factors that make musicians truly great and the bottom line is that is what they do, all the time! So they have 10,000 hours by the time they are 25 years old and you wonder how they got so great at playing the kazoo… so much so that women swoon.
You definitely need that desire and burning passion, but I also feel that your WILL trumps all others will, so much that you will be homeless so you don't have to work and pay bills just so you can do what you "will" at all times.
I see the best programmers, the best musicians, the best of most everything ignoring the social requirements and locking themselves in their parents basement for years.
I think the one thing that will screw you is losing focus. These people picked one thing. Sure you can master a couple of things in your life (well, maybe 5) but you can only really master 1 thing… for the next 10 years… so pick wisely, and focus.
You did a fantastic job with this blog.
I have been isolating factors that make musicians truly great and the bottom line is that is what they do, all the time! So they have 10,000 hours by the time they are 25 years old and you wonder how they got so great at playing the kazoo… so much so that women swoon.
You definitely need that desire and burning passion, but I also feel that your WILL trumps all others will, so much that you will be homeless so you don't have to work and pay bills just so you can do what you "will" at all times.
I see the best programmers, the best musicians, the best of most everything ignoring the social requirements and locking themselves in their parents basement for years.
I think the one thing that will screw you is losing focus. These people picked one thing. Sure you can master a couple of things in your life (well, maybe 5) but you can only really master 1 thing… for the next 10 years… so pick wisely, and focus.
On the money Stan. The 7 jump start tips are just what I need. btw, have you read The Talent Code? Daniel Coyle introduces the concept of 'Deep Practice'. Another work around for the 10,000 hrs.
On the money Stan. The 7 jump start tips are just what I need. btw, have you read The Talent Code? Daniel Coyle introduces the concept of 'Deep Practice'. Another work around for the 10,000 hrs.
On the money Stan. The 7 jump start tips are just what I need. btw, have you read The Talent Code? Daniel Coyle introduces the concept of 'Deep Practice'. Another work around for the 10,000 hrs.
I think it all boils down to passion. If you like what you are doing, you won't keep thinking about how tedious the 10,000 hours are. But I must admit 10,000 hours are a lot of times as you mentioned. Learn as you teach and teach as you learn!
My recent post Roofing Questions To Ask – The Most Essential Details
I think it all boils down to passion. If you like what you are doing, you won't keep thinking about how tedious the 10,000 hours are. But I must admit 10,000 hours are a lot of times as you mentioned. Learn as you teach and teach as you learn!
My recent post Roofing Questions To Ask – The Most Essential Details
I think it all boils down to passion. If you like what you are doing, you won't keep thinking about how tedious the 10,000 hours are. But I must admit 10,000 hours are a lot of times as you mentioned. Learn as you teach and teach as you learn!
My recent post Roofing Questions To Ask – The Most Essential Details
I have been thinking about the 10K rule for a while now. I agree and know that I have covered the distance a while ago. Right now I am learning/following UnMarketing ideas. I am fleshing out how I want to present myself. The blog will follow some learning. I like your stuff, keep going I am listening. Billy
Glad you got something out of the post. Come back soon!
I have been thinking about the 10K rule for a while now. I agree and know that I have covered the distance a while ago. Right now I am learning/following UnMarketing ideas. I am fleshing out how I want to present myself. The blog will follow some learning. I like your stuff, keep going I am listening. Billy
I have been thinking about the 10K rule for a while now. I agree and know that I have covered the distance a while ago. Right now I am learning/following UnMarketing ideas. I am fleshing out how I want to present myself. The blog will follow some learning. I like your stuff, keep going I am listening. Billy
Hi Stanford
Thanks for the clear heads-up very useful.
Nigel