How to Master Anything: 5 Rules to Get You There

You’ve probably heard of the 10,000-hour rule.  

Popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his bestselling book, "Outliers", the rule is based on research by psychologist Anders Ericsson and it states that it takes “10,000 hours of deliberate practice” to become a world-class expert.

If you decide to follow this rule, be warned. 10,000 hours is about 417 full days.

If you practice a skill for 3 hours every single day it would still take you close to 9 years to hit the 10,000-hour mark.

Worth the trouble? Maybe. If you’re set on becoming the world’s leading expert.

But what if that’s not your dream?

That’s where these 5 rules come in. They won’t turn you into the world’s best but, when you follow them consistently, you’ll achieve an exceptionally high level of mastery.

Rule #1: Get Comfortable with Feeling Foolish

When you’re a rookie, you’re going to feel foolish because there’s a lot you don’t know.

And that’s okay.

When you set out on the road to mastery, it’s not about being smart.

It’s about getting better, one day at a time. It’s about learning and growing.

It’s only natural to want to avoid feeling like you don’t know anything but if you’re afraid to appear less-than-smart, you’re not going to ask questions or make mistakes.

And that’s the kind of mindset that will hold you back.

So, go ahead and allow yourself to look foolish. Allow yourself to make mistakes and fail.

Again and again.

It’s the fastest and most powerful way to learn, grow and get really great at what you do. 

Rule #2: Track Everything

Keeping a journal or notebook with detailed notes on your daily performance or practice sessions will accelerate your ability to acquire a new skill.

The world’s top performers — from musicians to writers to sports stars — keep diligent records of their progress.

It’s the only way to look back and learn from what’s gone before.

It’s also a powerful way to motivate yourself to keep going because you’ll see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve improved.

Tracking everything will create massive momentum and fast track your progress to mastery.

Rule #3: Learn to Love Boredom

Mastery begins with repetition. It’s about practice. It’s about doing the same thing over and over and over again.

This is boring beyond belief.

But greatness comes from this. Winners put up with the boredom at the start to get the glory at the end.

Losers give up when they get bored.

So choose to love boredom. Choose to be a winner.

Rule #4: Plan for Plateaus

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’re familiar with this one.

You start out strong. You workout every day. You maintain focus and discipline, you begin to lose lots of weight.

Then, you get stuck. You stay at the same weight for days or maybe even weeks.

This is called a plateau and it doesn’t just happen when you’re trying to fit into size 4 jeans.

It happens anytime you want to learn a new skill or hit a goal.

The best way to get unstuck? Switch things up. Do something different.

If you’re writing a book and you get stuck, go for a walk outside.

If you’re trying to perfect a piece on the piano and you get stuck, do a little gardening. Do the laundry. Do the dishes.

Anything that will get you out of your headspace.

When you switch things up, you’re shifting your mindset and your thinking.

You’re smoothing out the kinks and letting your brain “reset” so you can get into the flow again.

Rule #5: Go Small

Don’t try to take big leaps when you’re setting out to become really good at a new skill.

Go small instead.

Break down your learning into minute, doable chunks or steps. Then look at how you can perfect each step.

This makes things a lot easier and you’ll get where you want to go, with a lot less struggle.

For instance, if you’re learning to swing a golf club, don’t try to get the entire swing right.  

Break it down into phases and small steps — the start, the middle and the end.

Then practice each small move until you get it right, before moving to the next one. This may feel like a slow, tedious way to master a skill but the opposite happens.

The more you break things down into small steps, the easier it is to get really good at each phase.

And you’ll speed up your overall progress toward mastery.

You can implement these rules and get incredibly good at just about anything — from becoming a skilled writer to killing it on the tennis court.

The thread that ties all of these rules together? Persistence.

Apply the 5 rules and practice again and again. You’ll master anything you set your mind to.

Guaranteed.

Which one do you think is the hardest to apply?