Coming via Jason Liang. Apparently, research has demonstrated what amounts to an empirical 10 year rule – 10 years of hard work is needed before even the most accomplished individuals become world class.
What it takes to be great By Geoffrey Colvin, senior editor-at-large
Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work
Fortune Magazine) — What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Berkshire Hathaway (Charts) Chairman Warren Buffett the world’s premier investor? We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing. As Buffett told Fortune not long ago, he was “wired at birth to allocate capital.” It’s a one-in-a-million thing. You’ve got it – or you don’t.
Well, folks, it’s not so simple. For one thing, you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don’t exist. (Sorry, Warren.) You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that’s demanding and painful.
… (Read rest of article here)
Even Sciam has this gem of a quote:
The preponderance of psychological evidence indicates that experts are made, not born.
The Expert Mind By Philip E. Ross
Studies of the mental processes of chess grandmasters have revealed clues to how people become experts in other fields as well
… (Read rest of article here)
Jason has this insightful comment to add to the articles.
one other thing I think is very important, that the article mentions but doesn’t really focus on, is not just pure practicing, but focusing on improving and practicing the right thing. and I think that alone is more difficult that it seems, and is what sets many people apart.
not everyone knows what the “optimal thing to practice” is. which is why a good coach or teacher can make such a difference because they push you in the right direction and know what to make you practice. and they also serve as a form of motivation.
