Have you ever asked yourself, “What would it take to become an expert in my field?” The thought of being an expert is appealing, but the pathway to get there may not be. Earl Nightingale once said, “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that subject.” Well, turns out, it takes a bit more than that to reach the highest levels of expertise.

Research suggests that to reach the highest levels of expertise requires 10,000 hours of practice spread over ten years. That comes out to roughly 2.7 hours a day. That’s every day! And that’s everyday for ten years. Still want to be an expert?

In what one area of your life would you like to develop a high level of expertise? If you don’t like the word “expert,” replace it with a word that better suits you. Now, what will it take to get there? What does your 10,000 hours look like? And when will you start? Remember, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. The best leaders and learners are those with perspective.