A rather old article written by the Freakonomics guys highlights the study of Anders Ericcson, a psychology professor at Florida State University who’s trying to figure out what makes a person really really good at something. He contends that Deliberate Practice, which involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as outcome, is what propels people into greatness. He believes that a person isn’t born with a gift, nor do they get good at something just by repeating the action.
… the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way, expert performers — whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer programming — are nearly always made, not born. And yes, practice does make perfect. These may be the sort of clichés that parents are fond of whispering to their children. But these particular clichés just happen to be true.
I just came out of a jiu jitsu class frustrated because I just don’t seem to be getting it. It makes me wonder about the amount of time needed to spend on deliberate practice. Seems like so many “expert performers,” at least in the sports world, start incredibly early and stick with it for all of their childhood and teenage years. So considering I didn’t start until I was in my thirties, how long before this deliberate practice kicks in and gets me a black belt?
Ericsson’s research suggests a third cliché as well: when it comes to choosing a life path, you should do what you love — because if you don’t love it, you are unlikely to work hard enough to get very good. Most people naturally don’t like to do things they aren’t “good” at. So they often give up, telling themselves they simply don’t possess the talent for math or skiing or the violin. But what they really lack is the desire to be good and to undertake the deliberate practice that would make them better.
Now this I believe. It’s interesting to think how hard it is to get good at something when we’re in our forties or beyond because we rarely push ourselves through a challenge. And not because we can’t, but I suspect it’s because we just don’t have the time. Unless we’re putting ourselves through a college or training program, we rarely have time outside of our full time jobs, families and social activities for anything more to focus on. Plus we seem less likely to do things outside our comfort zone and just stick with things we know how to do.
I took piano classes at college in my twenties, but didn’t keep at it. I often tell myself that when I’m rich and/or retired, I’ll pursue that again. But I wonder who will be there to force me into deliberate practice at that point in my life. Will I be motivated to set goals, absorb feedback and focus on technique all on my own? Or will just knowing the basics be all I strive for?
