Is it possible to become a master at something in a year? Is there is a way to go around the 10,000 hour “rule”? Is the 10,000 rule complete bullshit? More importantly is there a way to figure out how to learn skills and grow more in a shorter amount of time? Is there a way to hack the process of learning skills and getting in a year what it takes the average person a lifetime to get? I intend to give you adequate answers to these questions and more in this article. I’ve written about the power of the mind before and even about the importance of thought currents before.
For starters the 10,000 rule is bullshit. The guy who wrote it (the definition of a “pop psychologist”) makes him living on making grand generalizations (not to say his work is completely without merit but it’s taken to extremes). Also the whole nature versus nurture debate is pointless as well. Those who want it will get it (unless it has to do with physical things like playing pro ball) it’s as simple as that. Those who have the guys and the brains and work day and night will make it. Natural talent (except in physical competition) is negligible. Now that that’s laid to rest let’s talk about a way to master skills.
Avoid The Average
Whenever I want to learn something I know that the worst way to go about it is to listen to other people. That’s right, the average person (even in their field) are clueless idiots. I don’t say this to sound mean but because it’s the truth. The average guy out on the sales floor will fill you with more bullshit then if you started from scratch. The common man is a plague to greatness. Listening to those with a little knowledge is more dangerous than listening to those with none. Especially when those with a little think they know a lot and have limiting beliefs. Whenever you hear “That’s just the way things are” or “You can’t do that” know you’re talking to a defeated person and should turn the other way and run.
Every problem has a solution. If you seek it out. The vast majority of people on this earth have their head up their asses and no idea what they’re doing. Even so called “experts” I want to make this crystal clear to prevent you from going down wrong roads. Total immersion will not work if it’s killed by the average mindset. Listening to the average mind is like spreading poison with your fertilizer it will kill anything gain that was to be had. Now that that’s out of the way we can progress to total immersion and how it nearly make you superhuman. People will stare and shake their heads in awe (while blaming your success on “luck”).
Total Immersion
Total immersion is rather straightforward. For example the best way to learn a language is to be dropped off in the middle of a country that speaks that language and survive. That’s one version of total immersion. But this can be done to some extent with other skills as well. You’ve probably heard the expression he eats, breathes, and sleeps X. Well that’s what we’re going for here. It requires a single minded focus on becoming a beast at a certain skill. This is done for certain periods of time and then can be transferred from skill to skill. For example three months could be spent getting your income to a certain level and another three months spent to work on your game and banging hotter and hotter chicks. Again it’s your call.
To immerse yourself in something means you are surrounded by it from all angles. If you immerse yourself in water you are surrounded by water and have water in every direction. To immerse yourself in a skill you need to get information about it from every angle while being able to practice it daily. Your entire focus should be on immersing yourself in the subject. If you have a family you’ll have to work at balance but every free moment would be dedicated to this skill. You’d read books on it, listen to tapes on it, watch videos on it, spend some type of daily practice on it. Complete and total immersion.
The Mind As Sponge
I want you to do this. Imagine that your mind is a sponge. Now imagine you have control what you dip that sponge in. Let’s say there is a big vat of black goo that is the typical choice (read average) that people choose to soak their mind in. It has no benefits other than it numbs you. Now imagine skills as different types of liquid. Let’s say sales is a green liquid, survival a red liquid, and attraction a blue liquid. Whatever skill you are trying to master at the moment you want your mind to be coated from top to bottom in the color of liquid. You want to have the innermost workings of your sponge that color.
Never underestimate the power of your mind. It can soak up and retain so much, for better or for worse. It can soak up tons of new information while keeping the old. Even if you can’t remember something with you conscious mind rest assured it is in your subconscious and effects your life. Every piece of information you ever received is in there. So make sure to fill it with good things. To excel you need total immersion. Balance is for the weak and only the obsessed every achieve greatness. It took me a while to come to terms with it but I have found that it’s the truth.
Summary
If you want to excel then you need to become obsessed with your subject. You need to eat, breathe, and sleep what it is you want to become great at. Once you build something up to a certain level it can survive on its own but you must get it there first. Solitude helps tremendously with this process. But it is not required. Fill every spare moment with dedication to this skill and you’ll start to see the framework behind it. You’ll be like Neo in the Matrix seeing the code. And once the code has been seen it cannot be unseen. Best of luck.
If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it. You can follow me on Twitter here.
-Charles Sledge
