Well, so much for this taking a week, but I’m back after a much needed vacation. Anyways, the second principle of attaining excellence is that (surprise!) it takes time – almost 10 years of intense practice to reach expertise and compete on an international level, based on Ericsson et al’s research. The article goes on to explain that due to new techniques and refinement in training methods, it is almost impossible to beat this rule in areas such as sport and classical music. Being crowned king on some creative stages can generally take less time, however, the notion that people are born a “natural” should be laid to rest now. Sticking with the Kayne West story, earlier this year he was crowned by MTV as the “Hottest MC in the game.” However, Kayne West struggled for years get a record deal, since he was seen by his contemporaries, most notably Jay-Z, as a producer first and MC second. Anyone comparing his first album in 2004 to his third album entitled “Graduation” in 2007 should notice significant growth.

The point is, don’t expect anything to happen for you overnight. The idea that people are born talented is a deeply ingrained notion in our culture. I also find in my conversations with people about the topic is that this fallacy also serves as a convenient scapegoat; that someone is good at something simply because they were born that way. Don’t fall into this stereotype. If you want something, put the time in. If you have any interesting stories about people related to this, please leave a comment or email me.