5 years to become an expert

[catherine]

My son was talking the other day about how it REALLY doesn't take THAT long to master something, in the whole scheme of things. He was saying that in 5 years, you could pretty much be really, really good at something--anything you wanted.

I loved that, partially because I believe that, partially because I've experienced that (it took me 5 years to master market research and quadruple my income, for instance), and partially because at 60 I want to spend 5 years mastering something that I can carry into the next decade of my life. I'm looking for a more noble "right livelihood" for me other than helping Big Pharma sell drugs.

If you really took this 5-year bull by the horns, what would you try to master?

[sweetana3]

At one time I was enrolled to be a certified vet tech. Two years of school and that would leave me 3 years to get experience.

Life interupted and I went back to previous employer and then retired. But the whole vet tech program was fascinating. If I did it now, I would donate my services.

[ctg492]

Interesting thought and very positive attitude. 5 years goes faster than we think I suppose.

[Zoebird]

I would say I'm getting close to completing a 5-yr cycle. In 2007, I was kick-started into really working on the business that I wanted to have. I discovered that I wanted to create a franchisable business on a particular model, and that I needed to learn/understand business (financial planning, marketing, etc). I was lucky that I knew my skill already (teaching yoga), and I spent the first half-year figuring out the basics of the business (understanding and experimenting with the business model in particular). It was low risk at that point.

I was also pregnant at the time, so I did spend a fair amount of time preparing to have a baby.

In 2008, I started really getting into business planning, financial planning, market research, planning and strategy (in fact, if you have resources/information on that, I would love to have more!). I actually love the last one best. :D Well, the first and last. Admittedly, I could take more time for financial planning (more on that in a bit).

In 2009, I purchased a business, and we moved to NZ and took over that business in 2010. I spent most of 2009 preparing for the move to NZ, earning as much money as I can, and learning as much as I could from mentors (SCORE). Lots of time talking, studying, and learning. While also figuring out how to move to NZ and taking care of a birth-to-1 yr old.

For the past 2 years, I've been developing this business "on the ground." I met my first financial goals in the first 6 months (I'd given myself a year). I then started to develop aspects of the business based on market conditions (one aspect to launch in Feb 2013 with the school year).

I've also been given the opportunity to work with a business mentor her. Her expertise is helping small business owners create "exit strategies" so that they sell their businesses for profit and/or make passive income off of their businesses. I told her of my desire to franchise, and one of her friends ran (and sold) one of the largest franchises in NZ. So both women will be mentoring me over the next year to set up the business for franchising -- which will get me to a major goal in the next year or two.

I wouldn't consider myself an "expert" yet -- but I am happy with how well my business is doing and where it is going.

Over the next 5 years, I'd like to learn more about franchising and financial planning in particular -- just so that my business can really grow. I'm working on the licensing (which is something I've been working on as a concept for the last 3 years, but now have an actual "something" to create a license around that I didn't have before), and I feel like I definitely understand the basics of business planning and marketing such that I teach others these two constructs as part of my business-mentoring business that I run.

I find it really exciting.

The idea that something can be mastered in 5 years is cool. I think, though, that another phrasing is 10,000 hours -- which over five years means 2,000 hours per year, or 166.67 hrs per month or 41 hrs per week.

For most people, it might take double the time, just because they have a lot of life to be getting on with besides (i.e., a day job, family life, etc). So if a person can only devote 10 hours a week to "mastering" something, it's going to take 20 years. But, if they can put in the hours (as I have over the years), then it's going to go much more quickly. :)

Also, it depends upon what you are trying to master. It only took me several months to 'master' the skill of learning everyone's name the first time that I met them (sometimes it takes twice, but if I am diligent in the moment, I learn it first thing). But, it took a fair amount of diligence in those few months.

Whereas, mastering financial planning might take me a bit longer to understand the underlying process of financial projections.

[herbgeek]

10,000 hours is the time I've heard it needs to become an expert on something so this is right in line with 5 years. I just don't have the focus to spend that many hours on any one thing, I'm moderately ok at a lot of things, but not an expert on one thing. I get bored before I get to that level of expertise, there are so many things I want to learn about in this lifetime.

[ApatheticNoMore]

10,000 hours is the time I've heard it needs to become an expert on something so this is right in line with 5 years. I just don't have the focus to spend that many hours on any one thing, I'm moderately ok at a lot of things, but not an expert on one thing. I get bored before I get to that level of expertise, there are so many things I want to learn about in this lifetime.

+1 completely agree!!! So much is interesting .... (except when I'm depressed and then nothing is interesting - take your pick, but singular focus is not on the menu here :~)).

[rosarugosa]

I would love to learn carpentry. I am one of those people who would have trouble finding a "spare" 40 hrs per week after my 12-hr plus per day work/commute and a life on the side. On the other hand, this is something I could probably learn at less than master carpenter level and still get gratification from the accomplishment. The biggest challenges would be finding a willing teacher/mentor, and then finding time that would work in both of our schedules for me to learn.
Installing the hardwood floors in our house was one of our proudest accomplishments. So tangible! It's one of the things I love about gardening; the results are so tangible. I work with intangibles in my day job, which is also gratifying, but it's probably why I seek more tangible skills outside of my regular work realm.

[bunnys]

I want to become a really good piano player soon enough that I have at least 2 decades left to enjoy playing. I took as a child and for awhile as an adult about 10 years ago and I believe I am just now at about the beginning of the third grade level. If I got through the 5th grade I'd be really good. But to do that I must take lessons. Expensive, but if I don't get going soon I won't have that 2 decades...

This is a good thread...

[Tussiemussies]

I have disabilities that prevent me from working but I do have plans to become a certified aromatherapist and hopefully after that an herbologist. It's just that I would love to be a really great massage therapist but if I got my certification, my husband would be the only one to reap the benefits.

I figure with my other hobbies I will try and master them too.

[iris lily]

I've been toying with the idea of hybridizing lilies. Most serious plant people play with hybridizing at one time or another. The 5 year span would just get me up to speed on technique at a beginner's level but is not nearly enough time to produce cultivars of substance in that short a time. Just to get a lily registered it needs to have been grown for 7 years.

[Selah]

I want to learn to speak, read, and write Hebrew FLUENTLY, not the stumbling, beginner Hebrew I speak now.
I also want to learn to compose my own songs and accompany myself on the guitar and the autoharp.

Zoebird, what a great post, and congratulations on all your accomplishments. Tell me (or pm me, so as to not hijack this thread), what technique did you learn to remember people's names? That would come in SO handy for me!

[flowerseverywhere]

the 10,000 hours is from Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers." It is one of the fascinating books that tries to explain why some people become more proficient at things. Although some of it is right time right place, much is due to hard work and determination.

I would suggest it as a good read, very interesting and motivating to better yourself.

[try2bfrugal]

I try to always have some big project I am learning. I do not know if I ever stick with any of them long enough to become an expert. My current project is really how to master simple living and the general ideas in The Money or Your Life book. I have realized this past year that so much of what I though I knew about saving and investing money and what is normal to spend money on has been influenced by advertising and how our neighbors spend their money. Our big projects for this year are downsizing and decluttering.

I have been checking out a stack of books every week from the library on simple living, sustainable living and investing money. I am far from an expert at this point but this is what I really enjoy doing and will probably be my project to master for many years to come.

[Mrs-M]

Five years, would only be an introductory time-frame/period related to Professional Interior Design, but I would love to learn about antiques and interior arrangement/design.

[Mrs-M]

Another for me would be to become an author/novelist.

[Polliwog]

I have started knitting in earnest. I want to become very proficient in knitting - it is mindful, relaxing, and purposeful. I have made a dress for my granddaughter and a sweater for another granddaughter, and of course, the obligatory scarves. I am thrilled to see how my projects turn out. Right now I am knitting a sweater for myself. I have joined some knitting groups which makes it more fun. Love it, love it!

[Square Peg]

I am in back to back 5 year cycles. I went to college as a grown up with kids in tow. I spent five years getting my degree and then immediately enrolled in grad school. Now I am in a 5 year program to get my PhD.

[lhamo]

I am in back to back 5 year cycles. I went to college as a grown up with kids in tow. I spent five years getting my degree and then immediately enrolled in grad school. Now I am in a 5 year program to get my PhD.

Interesting that if you have funding and don't have to do a lot of extra outside work, five years is a pretty typical time for obtaining a Ph.D. I was actually in grad school for 8 years -- 3+ at MA level and a 4+ at Ph.D., but that included over 3 years in the field doing language study/field research and two years of dissertation writing. I was pretty much at a professional level in Chinese at that point, and proficient in another language, and more or less an expert in my very narrow field.

I'd like to find a new skill I want to master. Have toyed around with the idea of learning another language (likely Spanish, as it seems amenable to self-study and is more practical than Mongolian :)), but also interested in really developing my cooking skills. Maybe will try a bit of both. But then I am unlikely to master either, at least not in 5 years.

lhamo

[Square Peg]

Interesting that if you have funding and don't have to do a lot of extra outside work, five years is a pretty typical time for obtaining a Ph.D. I was actually in grad school for 8 years -- 3+ at MA level and a 4+ at Ph.D., but that included over 3 years in the field doing language study/field research and two years of dissertation writing. I was pretty much at a professional level in Chinese at that point, and proficient in another language, and more or less an expert in my very narrow field.

I'd like to find a new skill I want to master. Have toyed around with the idea of learning another language (likely Spanish, as it seems amenable to self-study and is more practical than Mongolian :)), but also interested in really developing my cooking skills. Maybe will try a bit of both. But then I am unlikely to master either, at least not in 5 years.

lhamo

Efficiency is the name of the game these days and if we linger, our funding gets cut off.

[Maxamillion]

I don't have the attention span to stick with something for five years, wish I did though. I have a lot of different interests and I love learning new things but I tend to go from one interest to another and eventually cycle back. Jack of all trades, master of none.

[catherine]

Just checking back on this thread! Been busy this week traveling (visited Iris Lily's neck of the woods in St. Louis Monday and now I'm in Jane's neck of the woods in Seattle. On to Raleigh next--does anyone live there?)

Interesting comments--I had forgotten about the Gladwell reference of 10,000 hours! I, too, tend to be kind of interested in lots of different things, and one week I'm feeling a language and another week I'm feeling going back to my art or theatre roots. But I think what I found encouraging for me was the idea that I don't have to feel that I'm closing out my contribution to society with a bunch a doctors who are highly motivated to prescribe drugs due to my market research.

I recently posted about having dreams about trying to get to a train that's leaving the station. I really don't want my train to leave the station before I've had a chance to really feel I've lived the "right" life for me. Plus, it's fun to throw yourself into something wholeheartedly. So I'm totally encouraged by this 5 year/10,000 hour proposition.

Thanks for the interesting perspectives on this.

[Zoebird]

Hey Selah.

Truth is, I just dedicated myself to doing so. It was really the first thing. I used to excuse myself "I'm just bad with names." But then I decided that since I don't have that disorder where you can't see people's faces clearly, I really dont' have any excuse.

So, I started to do a repeating process. I find that touching the person helps me too (if possible -- like shaking hands, but interestingly, if I touch their arm, it tends to 'take root' better for me). This is probably because I'm a touch-oriented person, and I "feel" or "learn" a lot through touch. I say the person's name after they repeat themselves, and before they step away, I say something and repeat their name again. After I've said their name the first time, I try to take note of specific facial features (glasses cause me problems with this), and I say their name while looking at the facial feature (say the name in my head, that is).

Then, the next time I see them, I go "Name, right?" And then they can correct me.

Also, once they are in the room, and I count each person (in my head) to make sure that my numbers add up, I repeat each person's name as I count them off. It's usually about 10-15 people at a time. So, its' pretty easy. And, luckily, a lot of people come back every week.

[Rogar]

A good thought to consider. I've spent some time thinking about this the last couple of days. I have a couple of skills I've come by over the years that I consider myself expert at, but life is a learning process. One thing I have thought about is whether it is better to be good than great? My current line of thinking is that I would rather spend my time being good at a few things rather than an "expert" at one.

[DarkStar]

Playing piano/keyboard. I had lessons as a kid - loved the instrument, hated the teacher & the music she made me play. Picked it up again as an adult and tried to teach myself, with small success. I started taking lessons a bit over a year ago, with someone who's teaching me to play by ear. I enjoy it more all the time. Now I'm at the point that I'm seriously contemplating getting a better keyboard, because I think I've reached the limitations of mine. My teacher is going to help me pick out a keyboard that's right for me.

I'm also learning plant breeding. Iris Lily, I think you will really enjoy that. I'm just getting started, and I'm really loving it.