Healthy You Brochure

I know you haven’t heard from me in a bit, and I apologize for that. I’ve had a lot going on. I’m getting married later this year, taking on some new responsibilities in a big project with Wendi Friesen (more on that later), etc. However, I do have something for you right now.

The rule of 10,000.

In a recent blog post I read, the author talked about how to combine your brain and willpower to break the pattern of average results. 

He discusses forming new habits, studying people who do what you want to do, etc. All of which is very important, but he forgot one thing.

This is a rule that’s well-known in several circles: music, sports, etc. And it’s a rule discussed in Malcom Gladwell’s newest book, Outliers. It’s a rule that can make or break your efforts at success.

The rule, simply, is this: it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert.

It’s not completely ironclad; there are some geniuses who can shave a few hours off that, but for the most part it takes 10,000 hours of intentional practice to become an expert. Regardless of initial talent.

Now, talent does play a part, don’t get me wrong; someone innately gifted with musical talent will be better at the end of that 10,000 hours than someone innately ungifted musically. But even that ungifted person will be better, perhaps even achieving a pro level.

The problem with knowing this rule is, well, it’s daunting. 10,000 hours works out to roughly three and a half years, going eight hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Given that most of us work eight hours a day, then have families to spend time with and take care of, five years or more is much more likely (interesting side note here: how long does it take to earn a Master’s degree? Coincidence?). No wonder most of us never progress beyond adequacy.

There is a solution, however. and given the nature of this website and blog, I’m sure you can guess what I’m going to say next. Yep. Hypnosis.

It has been proven in several studies that mental rehearsal helps you to improve at sports. And imagining exercise has similar (though not as pronounced) results as actual exercise. While I can’t guarantee using hypnosis and mental rehearsal will take 10,000 hours and turn it into only 500, it will help you learn whatever it is you’re learning more quickly and easily.

Here’s a simple process for doing just that:

1. Get into a comfortable position, in a comfortable spot. While you can do hypnosis anywhere and anytime, it’s best to take the time to be comfortable. No point in giving yourself a cramp just to experience hypnosis.
2. Close your eyes–not yet! Wait till you’ve read through the instructions!–and take a few deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth. This relaxes you further and helps ready you for the relaxed mental focus you need. Let any distracting thoughts fade out as you continue to breathe and relax.
3. Imagine, visualize or just know that you’re at the top of a staircase, with a door at the bottom. Every step you take down the stairs takes you twice as deep into the trance. When you reach the bottom (tenth step), you’ll be at the basement of relaxation and at the perfect level for really effective mental rehearsal.
4. Go through the door and find yourself doing what it is you’re learning to do. If you’re learning a martial art, you’re in the dojo, or perhaps you might be in your back yard using a practice dummy. If you’re learning a musical instrument, perhaps you’re in the band room practicing. Or maybe you’re performing at a concert. Whatever your activity is, whatever form of practicing you’re doing, notice how you get everything right. All the notes come out perfectly, all the moves are perfectly timed, and you feel great and confident doing it. Focus on performing it effortlessly and perfectly. Everything just flows out smoothly.
5. Take the time to play with this a bit. Slow things down and go through the activity in slow motion, noticing every detail and muscle movement, every nuance of the thought processes needed to get this just right, and flowing so perfectly. Then go through it at double speed, triple speed or even 100 times faster. 
6. Thank your unconscious mind for helping and ask it to keep running the practicing in the back of your mind, when you’re sleeping, when you’re daydreaming, etc. 
7. Count from one to five and reorient yourself to the here and now, stretching if needed, and returning to a normal state of awareness.

And that’s it. Do that on a regular basis, and it will help you get better faster and with less effort. You may have noticed that I kept emphasizing “perfect” and “just right.” That’s not to apply pressure; that’s because the beauty of mental rehearsal is you can do it perfectly. No need to program in the mistakes you’ve made while practicing “for real.” Practice doesn’t make perfect, after all; practice makes permanent. 

Because practicing wrong makes permanent the wrong move, perfect practice makes perfect. Always imagine doing it right the first time, effortlessly and easily.