The World's Best Book Summaries
Is talent a myth? What makes someone good at something? The talent myth is the idea that inherent talent dictates how well you will perform, and it has been shown to be false. Instead, practice plays a much more important role in determining how much someone will excel. Read on for more on what makes someone excellent.
What is deliberate practice, and how can you use it to get better at something? What can this style of practicing do for your performance? Deliberate practice is a method of identifying your weaknesses and specifically targeting them, instead of generally practicing an entire set of skills. This process focuses your energy on where you need improvement the most. Continue reading to learn how deliberate practice works.
Do you know how to avoid regret? What is the best way to break bad habits that cause it? To avoid regret, recognize and fix bad habits before they grow and develop further. Bad habits lead to the worst regret because they’re decisions that we make repeatedly over time. Keep reading to see why forming good habits is so important.
Does it take 10,000 hours to become an expert? What does research say about how much practice you need? The idea that you need 10,000 hours to become an expert is backed by the research of psychologist Anders Ericsson and is famously cited in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers. While there’s some debate around this exact figure, most agree that a lot of practice makes the difference between experts and non-experts. Read on for a look at all sides of the 10,000-hour debate.
How do you make better decisions in life? Is there a way to make wiser choices? To learn how to make better decisions, you need to question the biases that are influencing your decisions. There are four concrete strategies that you can use to develop better decision-making skills. Learn what these four steps are and how you can make wiser choices.
Can you learn how to set goals for yourself better? What does it look like to set achievable goals? To set goals for yourself, try to be as specific as possible in what you hope to achieve. And, make sure that you take into account your strengths and resources accurately. Learn what it takes to set goals within reach.
Is talent overrated? What does it take to become good at something? In Talent Is Overrated, Geoff Colvin explains why practice has a much bigger impact on performance than talent. Evidence suggests that time spent practicing is the number one indicator of excellence. Learn what it takes to get better at something and meet your goals.
Where are you headed in life? What are you striving toward? Do you believe that your life has value and meaning? In The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky unpacks the factors that fuel happiness and provides practical strategies to nurture and sustain it. One way is to find and create purpose in your life. Keep reading to see how having a purpose in life can bring you lasting happiness.
What are the benefits of intrinsic motivation? How do intrinsic rewards keep you motivated? The benefits of intrinsic motivation include being able to develop virtuous cycles of improvement and practice. This means that if you enjoy practicing, you’ll get better, which means you’ll continue to enjoy practicing and stick to it. Read on to learn how to develop better patterns of improvement.
How long does it take to become good at something? How much practice does it take? It takes about ten years of intentional practice to become excellent at something, but you can become better at something right away. In fact, any amount of practice is beneficial. Read for more on why practice can have such an immediate impact and how long you need to stick with something to become great.