You may have seen some posts and hype around Malcolm Gladwell’s 10 000 hour rule. The methodology behind the 10 000 hours is that if you practice something with a dedicated focus for 10 000 hours you will become an expert at it, effectively finding ultimate success and expertise in that chosen focus.
Malcolm, who wrote the famous Tipping Point, says that it may take you 10 or 20 years to get through those 10 000 hours, but if you had to record it, the result would be the same.
He goes on to give us examples, such as the Beatles and Bill Gates, who, in his opinion, achieved ultimate success because they dedicated 10 000 hours to their goal.
A recent article from Business Insider aimed to debunk this theory, stating that a Princeton study had revealed it all to be hocus-pocus. They said that deliberate practice is not as responsible for success as supposed. They gave some stats around the various typical focuses – sport, music, games, education and professions, the latter being the lowest with 1% of the variance in performance. Essentially this study was saying that it requires far more than a dedicated hourly ritual to be the best at something. Oddly, they don’t elaborate on what else is required to get to expert level.
For the purposes of this article, we want to give our “dedicated focus” to business start-ups and say that in order to really make a business work you do have to live and breathe it for a long time.
We see too many new business owners give up way too soon. We have spoken about the 1 000 day rule, in that if one can keep a business going for 1 000 days, then you have a good thing. It actually isn’t so much a rule, but a gauge, and it does depend on the circumstances around that said business.
When it comes to these 10 000 hours, which equates to roughly 417 days, our reaction here is that as a business owner you don’t actually ever stop thinking about and living your business. You may not be physically working in it every waking hour, but your business is always on your mind like a crush that’s nestled into your thoughts. If that isn’t dedicated practice, then we don’t know what is.
There is, of course, that theory that some things which we harp on or cannot let go of, are often bad for us, and can bring us down. Many businesses can do the same, yet I often see these owners consistently working in and on the business, like a dog-with-a-bone tenaciousness.
But, what’s your point?
Our point is that everything you do, and in this instance running a business, requires a dedicated practice. Whether it really will only (and, we say only with trepidation as its not proven) take 10 000 to perfect and succeed at that business, is very debatable.
We do think though that applying the 10 000 rule to your business is not a bad thing at all. A dedicated business owner will always see results and if you’re not in it to see results, then you have to ask yourself what you are doing.
So, in parting, yes! Dedicate yourself 100% to your chosen business venture and know that you must keep a focused and concentrated eye on the goal. You may not be an expert in your field one day, but you certainly will be richer for trying to.