10,000 hours

If you read material about creativity or genius, there is a common concensus that the foundation of extraordinary creativity or genius is about 10,000 hours of study and practice (there are other pieces to this, but I'm focusing on the hours for now). That's just to establish the foundation of knowledge and experience. The learning still continues and that's also when there is more opportunity for new thinking and new opportunities because of that basis.

Here's some perspective on that number. If a student completes the United State primary education system (K-12), they will have spent about 10,000 hours in a classroom or with homework. In reality that time is establishing a foundation for the rest of their lives. It would be difficult to get very far without that foundation.

Our basic four years of college is only about 3000-4000 hours of classroom time and study. 120 credits is typical 4 year program with each credit representing about 15 hours of classroom time. On top of that basic 1800 hours of classroom time is homework.

The schooling and training needed to be a doctor or earn a Ph.D. is usually 5 years of even more intense study. This is getting near the 10,000 hours as the foundation for a subject of study.

Here are a few other ways to look at 10,000 hours:
- That's 5 years of working full-time, 40 hours a week.
- At 20 hours a week or practice at anything, it would take 10 years to establish that foundation.
- Finally at just 10 hours a week, the time extends out to 20 years!

Everyone who decides to pursue a career as a lawyer or doctor, or pursue a Ph.D. knows that amount of time that is involved and they are willing to put that in. I wonder if everyone knew this number, what they'd think about their chosen career or hobby? Or How many people are truly willing to put in that much time and effort over an extended period of years to achieve that foundation of knowledge and experience?

What this does show though is that consistency and effort does pay off. It just takes time like anything else!