Learning something new when you’re an adult can be painful & frustrating. But that’s OK…
As a kid, I remember just throwing myself into any new game and before long getting the hang of it. That’s what most kids do.
As adults, most of us stick to what we already know. Investing the time to get past the awkward, “I can’t do this” stage is not seen as fun or worth it. But, there is a very good reason for why we should push on.
In his best seller, The Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell repeatedly describes ‘The 10,000 hour Rule.’ This rule, backed up by plenty of research, quite simply outlines the amount of time it takes to master something new: 10,000 hours. In The Outliers, Gladwell uses examples including The Beatles 1,200 gigs before they hit the big time and Bill Gates’ 10 years programming computers from the age of 13 as beacons of hope for people learning new things.
One of my projects for 2011 is to understand the online retail world much better. I might be a late starter, but this internet-thing looks like it’s here to stay(!). So I’m going to understand it. I’ve got HEAPS to learn and I’m on a VERY steep learning curve. But that’s OK, I will get there. And once I do, it will be worth it.
Becoming good at something takes time. Becoming better than anyone else at it takes at least 10,000 hours.
PS- I really recommend The Outliers, it’s a great read. Grab a copy here. (Or if you just want a quick synopsis, get it here.)
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