I read a very interesting book this last month. It was "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. I was expecting it to be a "pump you up" success book, my expectations were incorrect. In fact, I was a bit upset for two thirds of the book until I had time to digest its message. Gladwell essentially states that you won't become a great success until you have put the time into your endeavors to become a master in your chosen field. The magic number seems to be 10,000 hours. Even then those hours may not pay off unless the right opportunity presents itself to you after you are a master.
This message didn't set well with me. I have always envisioned that if I could visualize something it would be mine. I still believe this, but as I digested this book some hard truths began to sink in. The most basic fact is that my success can only be as great as my preparations. How can one expect to win a marathon without excruciating training leading up to it? A small business can grow larger only if the skills of leadership and management grow first.
Another thing I came to realize is that real personal growth comes through the struggle of becoming. If one is to become a master, the character built through hard work or practice is the pivotal element in that success. I would bet that Michaelangelo's failures far outnumbered his masterpieces. Yet, his successes still stand as a witness to the skills he mastered as an artist.
This brings the question to the forefront, what am I trying to master? If we are coasting along on our past skills and learning it is time to push ourselves to learn something new, which we can love and eventually master. At this point we will be ready to take advantage of new opportunities presented to us.
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