My Informational Talk on Deliberate Practice
This morning I gave a 5-minute informational talk on deliberate practice in my Public Speaking class. (In a future post I'll get more into d.p.) While preparing, I realized how average I was at an activity I've been doing for many years - car driving. Thus this ditty on Joey Logano.
Yo, Joey! By the time NASCAR driver Joey Logano was born in 1990, I had already been driving for 22 years. Considering that the average driver operates a vehicle 293 hours per year, I probably had driven 6,446 hours by then. Little Joey started driving competitively here in Connecticut when he was 6 years old and raced in his first pro event at 15. By then I had put in over 15,000 hours - way over the "10,000-hour rule".
The 10,000-Hour Rule
The "10,000-hour rule" was popularized by Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers. It is based on the research of Anders Ericsson, the psychologist who coined the term deliberate practice. While not a magic number, the idea is that it takes a very long time to become a top performer in any endeavor. But an important condition to the rule is that a great amount of time must be spent in proper practice - deliberate practice. Maybe this is what has enabled Joey to figuratively lap me multiple times in driving skills.
The Family 1963 Chevy Impala
I got my learner's permit shortly after I turned 16. I can't tell you how excited I was! Initially, my Dad was my driving instructor. To say that my Dad - a policeman - was cautious is an understatement. He started me in the parking lot of the Erie Central Mall on Sundays when the mall was closed. Our 1963 Chevy Impala had a bench seat in the front. Dad stayed in the driver's seat with his feet on the pedals. I scooted over, sat next to him, and steered from the middle position. We did several lessons like that before I was allowed to sit in the driver's seat. Once I got the hang of it, Mom took me to the Erie Cemetery, a quiet place, situated on 75 acres and populated by folks I could not hurt. Once I reached an adequate level of skill, I took and passed the driving test. It was only after I got my big-boy license that Dad allowed me to drive on the street.
The Plateau of Adequacy
I never took any other driving lessons. Any progress in my 20,000 hours of driving is due to on-the-street experience. I reached an adequate skill level and have not really pushed beyond my comfort zone. A plateau has been reached. Sure, my judgment has improved with age so there's that. But my goal as a driver is to reach my destinations without anybody
getting hurt.
Focus
Joey Logano played hockey when he was a kid. But once he showed great promise as a race car driver, he focussed solely on that skill and all of the micro-skills associated with it.
Breaking It Down Into Micro-Skills
Every enterprise and pursuit can be broken down into micro-skills. Joey and other top performers focus on improving these micro-skills. In the process, they create an ever-expanding comfort zone.
Deliberate Practice
I'm new to Anders Ericsson's research on deliberate practice. But I want to learn it, use it and share it with my grandkids, music students, and you.
Action Challenge
Google the words deliberate practice, followed by an activity at which you want to improve. For example: deliberate practice chess, deliberate practice basketball or piano, swimming, animation. You might be surprised by what you find.
Feedback What do you do to keep on growing in your particular discipline? Please comment below! (Joey Logs, if you're reading this, what do you do for practice?) #joeylogano #deliberatepractice #andersericsson #10000hourrule
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