Debunking the "1,000 hours of practice" myth

Posted by Ken
Nov 12, 2011 at 04:45 AM

While I appreciate your level of interest in this subject, and I do not wish to debate this topic at any length, I have to say that after reading the article, the posted comments on the author’s blog, and your comments above, I am not finding it all adding up to any definitive conclusion for me. Several people who commented on the author’s blog post took him to task for misreading the data, and I am not at all clear how you are relating this article to “lightweight” apps not being able to achieve your stated objectives - long-term concentration and accumulation combined with continual prioritized deliberate action.

I am happy that the article called out to you, but for me, it left me with more questions than answers. And regarding “lightweight” apps, I would think that it could be just as easy to cite overly complicated apps that people end up spending too much time learning how to use, and getting too little productivity from their time invested. As much we use software as tools for productivity, I sometimes believe that there is no substitute for the productivity that can be gained by using the “Pomodoro technique”, and it requires no software at all. For me, it’s the right tool for the right job. With regards to concentration, that’s a whole different matter. No software is going to help me concentrate if I my brain is preoccupied. That’s a matter of discipline.

Respectfully,

—Ken