Heres Why You Dont Need 10,000 Hours to Master Something [Video]

Looking to master a new skill? You’ve probably heard you need to put in 10,000 hours of practice first. This idea, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, has become the go-to number for any skills-based learning, from playing the guitar to becoming a world-class public speaker.

But here’s the good news: the 10,000-hour rule isn’t a rule at all. In fact, research suggests you can achieve mastery in far less time—if you practice the right way! Let’s dive in.

The 10,000-hour rule suggests that to become world-class in any field, you need to put in 10,000 hours of dedicated practice. This works out to roughly:

The concept gained widespread popularity after Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell highlighted it in his book Outliers, which went on to become a New York Times Bestseller. 

In the book, Gladwell challenges the narrative that exceptional success comes primarily from innate talent or genius. While he …