10,000 Hours

According to experts that’s how long it takes to become a world-class expert or to excel in a particular field. Of course it doesn’t guarantee that you WILL become an expert in that time but if you don’t put in the hours you won’t make it. If you do make it, you will have put in the hours. At least that’s what scientific research has discovered. Even Mozart wasn’t instantly a genius when he composed his first piece of music. Picasso’s early drawings and paintings wouldn’t have earned the millions that his paintings now command, if he hadn’t put in the hours to learn his skill, become well known and then to succeed in his chosen profession.

10,000 hours. That’s only a mere 40hrs a week over 5 years or 20 hours a week over 10 years to become a world-class expert. No one who has succeeded and become world-class has done it in less time. There’s nothing to substitute for practise, practise, practise and to have the persistence to keep going, even when the rewards aren’t there.

No one is born a genius. They may have a genetic advantage but even the most talented performer, artist or musician has only got there through hours of practice. Put in the time, put in the effort and you will succeed. You might not be ‘world-class’ but you will certainly be an expert in your field and will be pretty accomplished at whatever task you set out to complete.

So, what do you want to become an expert in? What new skill would you like to learn?

Get started now, set the time aside to practice and start ticking off those 10,000 hours.

Watch What You Say

I just came across this quote and thought it was appropriate, not just to the spoken word but here on the internet - particularly in the world of blogs and discussion groups where words - whether written in jest or not, can be open to a completely different interpretation from what might have been intended, when they land in someone’s inbox, discussion group or blog.

"Know that a word suddenly shot from the tongue is like an arrow shot from the bow. Son, that arrow won't turn back on its way; you must damn the torrent at its source." - Rumi

Don't jump to conclusions, just because you've read something that presses your buttons, particularly if you don't know the sender. I’ve seen several discussions that could be viewed as bullying or insulting that were actually friendly banter and tongue in cheek sarcasm but you would only know this if you knew the background and personalities involved.

Do they know each other and are you viewing a discussion as an outsider? Do you know the person involved? Do you know how they might be thinking or feeling? Re-read the text but take a different viewpoint. How would you read and interpret this message if it was written by a friend? Think about how your words could be interpreted by someone not in the ‘know’.

Remember that tone, feelings and the more subtle aspects of humour are difficult to convey in the written word. The same sentence read with different intonation and emphasis can be interpreted completely differently.

Looking back at the quote - if you have the habit of putting your foot in it it's worth spending a few minutes to think before you speak. At least take time to read what you've said before you hit send or be prepared to deal with the effect should the arrow find a different 'target' from the one that you intended.

If you have something important to say and you don’t want your message mis-interpreted, try it out on someone else. Sometimes we can have such a fixed viewpoint on something that we might be very familiar with, that we miss the obvious.

Go For A Walk

This is something that came up again for me over the course of various conversations in the last week and while out on a walk with a very dear friend who’s been having a tough time of things recently. Not just taking a walk for healthy exercise but for the additional benefit of exercising and relaxing our brain too.

It’s generally accepted that the brain is divided into left and right activities.

The left brain is associated with words, logic, numbers analysis, sequence and lists – the intellectual, ‘business’ side of the brain.

The right brain is associated with rhythm, spatial awareness, dimension, imagination, daydreaming and colour – the creative, emotional side of the brain.

Walking or running is a right-brained activity. As the romans said ‘solvitas perambulum’ – solve it while you walk. Take a break and go for a walk. The fresh air, rhythmic movement of walking or running and the change of scenery will allow then more creative side of your brain to do it’s thing, solving problems while you get the additional benefit of some exercise.

I often 'create' topics for newsletters when I go out for a run or if a particular problem is going round in my head, getting out for some fresh air can be a good way to break the cycle and find a solution. Things can take a different perspective

Try it this week and see if it improves your overall sense of well-being, when you allow your brain to switch into a different mode for a while.

Get A Different Perspective.

When we do the same thing day in day out, we often take things for granted and get into the habit of just going through the motion, not really concentrating on what we’re doing as we go into automatic pilot. We become desensitised and just focus on getting from one place to the other.

If you’ve just got back into work after the holiday break than perhaps things are feeling a little different anyway. It’s like starting a new term back at school – when you’ve had some time off things can look different, fresher, jaded, in need of a change.

Do you always take the same route to work or to the shops? Sit in the same seat on the bus or train? Do you always shop in the same store, drink the same drink, have the same sandwich filling?

If you’re a creature of habit, don’t just fall straight back into the same routine. Change things around a bit. Take a different route to work, so what if it takes a few minutes longer. Take the bus instead of the car. Go by foot instead of driving – you’ll have a different, slower, richer view of things. Do your shopping somewhere different - ok, you won't know where anything is

I recently walked down a road I often cycle down. I had more time to notice the houses and gardens, the space between them and the way the road had more curves and undulations in it than I'd been aware of.

Do something differently - even if it's just having coffee instead of tea. See how many things, however small you can do differently. After all, variety is the spice of life.