Career Advice: The 10,000 hour rule is not a myth

My dad has told me this since I was a kid: “the harder you work, the luckier you get.”

I took that to heart as an aspiring writer in college. I was wrapping up a pre-med degree, writing in between biology and chemistry class.

Later, rather than continuing to medical school, I moved to Hong Kong and started a blog. That was my way of betting on myself to “make it” as a writer.

Writing on the internet everyday helped me secure a job at an English newspaper overseas (with an excellent editor, Tommy Cho), and my path as a journalist materialized from there.

I’ve learned the key is not being in the right place at the right time. What matters is showing up so reliably, for so long, that timing becomes irrelevant and the volume of work speaks for itself.

My father’s lesson led me to another: The only way to make a living is if the action comes before the noun.

This is true particularly in creative fields.

“I am a writer” means less to me than “I write everyday.”

Consistent, disciplined output is the only way to move the needle. There is no myth that irks me more than that of the “overnight success.”

This philosophy took me to Business Insider, where I had some 2,000 bylines in three years. I learned a lot from some great people and a buzzy newsroom, but the huge output sharpened me more than anything.

Two weeks ago I quit my job to launch a new venture, Opening Bell Daily.

The pursuit thrills me, and I’m grateful for the fanfare it’s received so far. Yet like any milestone or accolade, the company is a lagging indicator.

This new venture has been years in the making.

The photo below captures 10,000 hours in a single snapshot — my blog, my books, and my company.

I wonder what the photo will be a decade from today.