Last updated on December 16, 2024
In 1993, psychologist K. Anders Ericsson and colleagues introduced an idea that changed how we think about success. Before then, we often admired world-class athletes, musicians, and professionals as people born with special talents. Ericsson’s research reflected in The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance turned that belief upside down. He argued that talent is overrated, and that deliberate practice, not innate ability, is the real key to success. Ericsson’s findings laid the foundation for what is now known as the “deliberate practice,” which suggests that becoming an expert in any field requires about 10,000 hours of focused, purposeful, intentional practice.
Ericsson’s 1993 paper wasn’t the end of the story. Fifteen years later, in 2008, Ericsson returned with new insights in his paper Deliberate Practice and Acquisition of Expert Performance: A General Overview, in which Ericsson focused on fields where expertise can be a matter of life and death, such as medicine.
What changed between these two landmark papers?
How did Ericsson’s original 1993 research help him reach new conclusions in 2008?
Let’s explore what’s changed, what stayed the same, and how these lessons can help you achieve peak performance, no matter what you’re trying to master.
The 1993 Paper: The Beginning
Back in 1993, the world largely believed that people who excelled—whether in sports, music, or academics—were simply born with it. We marveled at the “natural” talent of a young piano prodigy or the “gifted” runner who set new records on the track.
Ericsson’s 1993 paper questioned our traditional thinking by introducing the concept of deliberate practice and discussing the rols of deliberate practice. He showed that expert performance isn’t all the result of some genetic lottery. Instead, expert performance comes, at least in part, from hours upon hours of focused, intentional practice that’s specifically designed to improve performance.
Ericsson’s research across fields such as music, chess, and sports pointed to a clear pattern: those who spent more time in deliberate practice performed better than those who merely put in hours of casual practice. The key, he explained, is the quality of that practice. Deliberate practice is hard, mentally taxing, and often uncomfortable because it forces you to confront your weaknesses. Unlike casual practice—where we might repeat what we already know—deliberate practice is designed to push your limits and refine your skills.
The conclusion was clear: it’s not enough to just practice; you have to practice deliberately.
Deliberate Practice
Ericsson’s research indicates: To achieve world-class performance in any field, you need roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice—about 10 years of dedicated effort.1 The key takeaway here isn’t just about the hours you put in. It’s about the focus and intensity of those hours.
Imagine you’re an aspiring chef. If you spend 10,000 hours cooking the same dishes over and over, you might get really good at making spaghetti. Will you become a master chef? Probably not. True mastery comes from stretching yourself—learning new techniques, experimenting with flavors, and seeking feedback from others. That’s deliberate practice.
What Does the 2008 Paper Add?
In 2008, Ericsson took these ideas further. While the 1993 paper laid the foundation for deliberate practice, the 2008 paper focused on applying these concepts to high-stakes environments, particularly in the medical field.
One of the biggest changes in this later work is the discovery that experience alone does not lead to expertise. Imagine a surgeon who’s been practicing for 20 years. You’d think that with two decades of experience, they’d be at the top of their game, right? But Ericsson’s 2008 research revealed that unless that surgeon is deliberately seeking feedback and working to improve, their performance could plateau or even decline over time.
This finding goes beyond medicine. Let’s look at pilots, for example. A pilot with 30 years of flying experience might seem more reliable than one with just five years of experience. If that veteran pilot hasn’t engaged in deliberate practice—constantly refining their skills, practicing emergency simulations, and learning from near misses—they might not be better than the pilot with less experience. Simply flying planes isn’t enough to improve performance. It’s about how you practice.
The 2008 paper emphasized the importance of simulation-based training. In medicine, for instance, doctors and nurses can use simulators to practice high-pressure, life-or-death situations in a safe environment. These simulations allow them to get immediate feedback, analyze their mistakes, and improve quickly—something that just performing surgeries or seeing patients day-to-day might not offer.
This concept extends to other high-stakes fields. For example, firefighters regularly train using simulations of dangerous scenarios—not because they don’t know how to put out a fire, but because these controlled exercises help them refine their decision-making under pressure. The same goes for the military, where soldiers train using simulated combat scenarios. It’s not enough to know the basics; deliberate practice helps them prepare for the unexpected.
What Stayed the Same?: The Power of Feedback
Although the 2008 paper added new insights, the core idea of deliberate practice remained the same: structured, goal-oriented practice with immediate feedback. Whether you’re learning to play the guitar or improve as a public speaker, feedback is crucial. Without it, you might repeat mistakes without realizing it.
Consider professional athletes. A basketball player like LeBron James doesn’t just practice shooting baskets. He works with coaches, studies game footage, and tweaks his technique based on feedback. This constant cycle of practice and feedback is what keeps him at the top of his game.
Even if you’re not an athlete, you can apply the same principle. If you’re working on your communication skills, seek feedback from colleagues or mentors. Ask for specific areas to improve, and then focus your practice on those weaknesses. That’s how deliberate practice works in real life.
A Broader Application: How Deliberate Practice Transforms Multiple Fields
While Ericsson’s initial research focused on music, chess, and sports, the 2008 paper expanded deliberate practice into other areas, particularly medicine. Its principles apply almost universally.
For example, in business, leaders who regularly seek feedback and refine their management skills are more likely to foster successful teams. It’s not just about managing for years—it’s about learning from experiences, seeking out areas of improvement, and practicing better decision-making. Successful CEOs like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are known for constantly iterating on their decisions, learning from mistakes, and pushing themselves outside their comfort zones.
In the arts, writers like Stephen King exemplify deliberate practice. King writes every single day, no matter the circumstances. He constantly refines his craft, experiments with new styles, and seeks feedback from editors. This relentless focus on improvement is why he’s one of the most prolific and successful authors of all time.
Whether you’re in tech, sales, or healthcare, the principle is clear: deliberate practice, not just repetition, is what drives excellence.
Applying Deliberate Practice in Your Life
So, how do you use deliberate practice to reach your own peak performance?
1. Don’t rely on experience alone.
Whether you’re a software developer, a teacher, or a salesperson, experience won’t automatically make you better. To improve, you need to actively identify your weaknesses and work on them.
2. Seek feedback constantly.
If you’re not receiving feedback, you’re not growing. Whether it’s from a mentor, a coach, or even a peer, feedback is your roadmap to improvement.
3. Embrace discomfort.
Deliberate practice is tough because it forces you to face your shortcomings. It’s in this discomfort that real growth happens. Whether it’s mastering a new programming language, refining your public speaking, or becoming a better leader, growth comes from pushing past what’s easy.
4. Simulate high-pressure scenarios.
If you work in a field where high-pressure decisions are common, find ways to simulate those situations. Athletes, surgeons, and military personnel use simulations to prepare for the real thing—and so can you.
Insights
1. Mastery is achievable for anyone.
The data shows that just about anyone can reach expert performance with deliberate practice. It’s not about where you start—it’s about how you practice.
2. Experience is overrated.
Just putting in the hours doesn’t lead to growth. Without structured, feedback-driven practice, even seasoned professionals can plateau.
3. Less can be more.
Practicing for fewer hours but with intense focus and feedback can be more effective than simply putting in the time. It’s about quality, not just quantity.
4. Failures can teach more than successes.
While we’re wired to avoid failure, deliberate practice embraces it as a teacher. The more you fail—and learn from it—the faster you improve.
The Path to Mastery
Deliberate practice isn’t just for elite athletes or surgeons. Whether you’re looking to advance your career, develop a new skill, or simply improve yourself, the principles of deliberate practice can help you reach your full potential. By seeking feedback, embracing discomfort, and practicing with intention, you can unlock the mastery that’s already within you.
The 2 papers discussed in this article are:
Ericsson, K. A., Jr., Krampe, R. Th., & Tesch-Romer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review (Vol. 100, Issue 3, pp. 363–406), which can be found here.
Ericsson, K. A. (2008). Deliberate Practice and acquisition of Expert Performance: A General Overview. Academic Emergency Medicine, 15(11), 988–994, which can be found here.
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