The 10,000 Hour Rule

Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, Outliers: The Story of Success, is #1 on the Wall Street Journal's list of business books.

In Outliers, the premise is simple: Why do some people succeed far more than others?

Gladwell dedicates an entire chapter to what he calls the “10,000 Hour Rule.” In that chapter he asks a very simple question: is there such a thing as innate talent? Which is to say, are there some people out there who are just naturally gifted and just float by effortlessly to the top of their chosen field? The obvious answer is, yes. However, in typical Gladwell fashion, he digs a little deeper.

Gladwell points out that the problem with this view (natural talent) is that the closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger role preparation seems to play.

What separates elite violinists from “good” violinists to those who only end up music teachers? Practice. 10,000 hours to be exact. Why is Bill Gates able to take baths in hundred dollar bills? He spent hours upon hours (hello, 10,000) honing is computer programming skills as a high school student.

The point is, if you want to be great in anything, you’re not just going to get by with talent alone. You have to attend seminars, network, and read more than two books. The common denominator is time (10,000 hours). Which begs the question, what have I spent 10,000 hours doing that would label me an expert? Lets see, hmmmm…..