8V: 10,000 rule

mas·ter·y comprehensive knowledge or skill in a subject or accomplishment

          When I was younger my whole life revolved around gymnastics.  I always wanted to learn and perfect new skills.  My coach would hand out purple ribbons when she thought we had “mastered” a skill.  The best feeling in the world was bringing one of those purple ribbons home. I would be super excited to show my mom that I mastered a new skill.  It didn’t mean that I just learned the skill; the ribbon meant that I had learned it perfectly.

          In order to master something completely a lot of work has to be put into it, 10,000 hours, or 10 years to be exact. According to studies it takes someone ten years to be perfect at what they do.  It can be a job, a sport, or even playing a musical instrument. In an article we read "How to be Great: Rising Above the Talent Myth" it explains that you’re not born with all the talent you can achieve.  If you deliberately practice you can become great at something.  If you do this for about ten years, you can even master it!

          Some other words that are important are expertise and moxie. Expertise means a special skill or knowledge: the skill or knowledge an expert has.  This word closely relates to mastery.  In order to be an expert at something you have to master it first. Moxie is courage and determination, the ability to be active.  You need to show moxie as you are practicing.  Moxie is what separates practice from deliberate practice. Practice is just going through the motions.  When you deliberately practice something you are showing moxie. You have determination and you’re actively fixing and working on errors.