Malcolm Gladwell wrote the book on the 10,000 hour rule, Outliners. This book proposes that 10,000 of work at anything will lead to success at that. That the people who are real masters have spent this time.
If you read more closely, there is more than just 10,000. It’s not that anyone who puts in 10,000 hours will be a success, it’s that talent alone is not enough. You need to put in the work as well. And that is the methology that has been ruling my life more recently. Doing a bunch of things a little bit each day will lead to getting better. Trying to put in at least a piece of code a day (including weekends), has been a goal of mine on my github graph. Not all of it is the same language and not all of it is substantial, but I’m trying to write something everyday.
I’m also taking the meditation approach to this process. If a day is missed, I practice forgiveness and just do better the next day. Always trying to just be a bit better every single day.
This practice is also going to extend to writing and drawing. I’m tired of being mediocre at drawing and writing. I’m tired of producing par or sub-par contributions and being okay with it. I want to write with purpose and draw with purpose.
So here are the areas I’m working on:
- Fitness (I’m still pretty overweight and don’t feel like the athlete I feel like I could be)
- Writing
- Drawing
- Photography
- Coaching / Leadership
- Training my puppy
- Cleaning my life (Cull and Surrender)
There is more to come, stay tuned.