Outliers

My current reading list includes this one by Malcolm Gladwell.

I was introduced to Gladwell's works by my good friend Ayadh, who is fond of psychoanalysis and self-help.

Outliers attempts to find out why some people are successful and why some are not.

He plucks out mainstream examples from the cream of the crop across the spectrum and discusses how each of them has climed the ladder of success faster than others, and why some people have been left behind in the race.

So why are some people successful?

According to the book, all people start out equal.

Whether you're a hockey player, a computer whiz or a musician, the moment you take interest in your craft, you have an equal chance as everyone to make it.

But as luck would have it, some people get more opportunities than others.

Opportunities are doors opening for you to explore what's inside that mansion.

Bill Gates took interest in computer programming, but during his teenage years, it was hard to gain access to computers.

Luckily, a university near his house had a computer available 24/7, and he would sneak out of his house in the wee hours to practice programming.

Even though there was a limit to the number of hours every person could use the computer, with a little decoding fueled by his drive to keep on programming, he was able to sit in front of the computer for hours on end.

The Beatles. There were countless of bands in their era, but what did the Beatles have that others didn't?

Gigs at a Hamburg night club.

They were required to play there for more than a hundred nights straight, each night consisting of hours of playing different genres.

Those gigs made them more confident to face a massive crowd, gave them lots of practice and exposure and a record label that took off.

Bill Gates and The Beatles had something in common, and that is the opportunity to practice. Practice, practice, practice.

Their brains and talent wouldn't make the cut.

According to the book, Gates and The Beatles spent ten thousand hours of their lives perfecting their craft before they became phenomenal.

A study shows that it takes a minimum of ten thousand hours before mastery kicks in.

Then you can hold on to your seats and see a new star rising.

I have never done anything for ten thousand hours.

I was doing lots of different things when I was young that I wasn't able to focus on one.

Is it too late?