Referring to my previous article published last week (Monday, 3 October 2015), I presented the news from BBC News website about 10,000 steps a day to keep fit. It can be noted that this news is concerned with the number used for the sake of business—marketing strategies. Similarly, prior to this blog post, Punn (2015) has written the interesting article
"Do you believe in lucky numbers?" The article is again related to the numbers and their influences on our lives. Someone may agree with luck causing by the number; however, it would depend on individual belief and attitude. More importantly, it would be undeniable that many numbers has become part of daily life in different aspects such as phone numbers, ATM password, lottery and stuff like that. Whether the lucky numbers exist is still intriguing question as well. Yet, certainly, there are magic numbers created deliberately, especially in terms of business, psychology and the like. Some examples of magic numbers could be found in my comments given to Punn’s post about lucky numbers.
Here I would like to illustrate another example of a magic number that is attributed to a theory regarding achieving goals. In
"Can 10.000 hours of practice make you an expert?", Ben Carter (2014) mentions that 10,000-hours concept first emerged in The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance, a 1993 paper which was about the study of practice habits of playing violin by Prof. Anders Ericsson from the university of Colrado and his group. Prof. Ericsson summarized that "many characteristics once believed to reflect innate talent are actually the result of intense practice extended for a minimum of 10 years". Then, Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Outliers: The Story of Success, proposed the 10,000-hour rule by referring to such a magic number related to the work studied by Prof. Ericsson. Yet, in fact, prof. Ericsson says that 10000 hours are just an average time, and this concept depends on the quality and the clear goal of practice as well, whilst Gladwell believe that talent doesn’t matter or even exist and doesn’t mention the true concept of deliberate practice of Prof. Ericson. He has interpreted the Prof. Ericson’s work differently. So far, his 10,000-hour rule has raised a question whether it is true that you can an expert in anything or any skills without any talents by just practicing 10,000 hours.
In fact, last AEP term, I (2015) wrote the article
"Talent or Pratice?" which presented another interesting aspect of the importance of practicing against having talent in the different manner when compared this post as well.
Even though, some people disagree with Gladwell’s rule and has also proven that someone spend time less than 10,000 hours in practice to be good at something (goals). Therefore, the success relies on talent, right practice, intention; something takes long time, but others might not. I, myself, view that although there is no guarantee about his rule, setting the time for practicing like that (10,000 hours) could be useful to help us have a clear plan and a goal in achieving anything for a long time without giving up in the short time. Noticeably, the similar magic numbers are used commonly for promoting business with respect to learning anything or education, for example, master in English within 3 days, guitar professional in 30 hours. This kind of number seems to be magic to make people feel good when learning; nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that to do so under specific time is always effective and successful.
By the way, the above story makes me realize that most people are likely to often set their goals to achieve for a better life in different aspects regardless of whether they have talent or not. I am also a person who tends to do like that as others do. In particular, when starting a new year, I usually have new resolutions for my life every year. Until now, year 2016 will begin in the next few months. I suppose that many people including me are setting and planning their goal as New Year’s resolutions. The point I’m interested is whether you have the (provisional) resolutions for 2016 or not and what they are.
_______________________________________
My question is:
In the upcoming New Year, what are your (provisional) news’ year resolutions (goals)?
Carter, B. Can 10,000 hours of practice make you an expert? (2014, March 1).
BBC News. Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26384712
Interesting!, I will come back to read carefully and comment it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteActually, I haven't made any New Year resolutions.
ReplyDeletenormally, I just usually plan what I have to do, or sometimes I also make a promise to myself (not in the New Year lol) like I will go to bed early tomorrow!! but what's a pity my promise usually fail lol, so actually, I never stick to them so much.
if you ask me about my plan next year, I can say that I will study abroad, and I think I promise to myself that I will work hard and do all the best.
Not surprisingly, most of people normally fail in their new year’s resolution.
DeleteWhy? There are several reasons such as laziness, too high goals, lack of inspiration and the like.
Thus, I think often we rarely get any benefits from new year’s resolution at all because we tend to not keep doing our goals.
The more important thing to further think is how we can keep doing our aims until we accomplish.
Anyway, I hope you will be successful in your all goals next years. And it’s time to me to plan my life for next year too.
I stopped making New Year resolutions years ago - I'm just not very good at keeping such things. These days, I limit myself to more modest goals, like getting some exercise today. Then when I fail, it's not such demotivating disaster and I can get back on track tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI think that as with many people, food is a worry for me. I would like to go back to the weight and shape I was about 10 years ago, or even earlier. The trouble is, I love eating, and the better the food, the more I love it. Having my sister and her family here last week was a diet disaster - I loved it. It was a great excuse to visit a few of my favourite restaurants and eat lots. Perhaps I'm not really that motivated to lose weight?
I see your point. It is easy to have new year’s resolutions for each year, but it is also quite difficult to keep doing until achieving. Like you, I frequently failed to keep such things. Yet, I still enjoy having new year’s resolutions because I believe that I would get better life if I could accomplish.
DeleteEvery year, many people hope to lose their weight by doing something like exercising, eating less and so on. But finally almost all of them tend to fail in their goals because nowadays we have a more convenient life, and it’s rather hard to restrain ourselves from a variety of tantalizing food that can be widely seen and easily bought.
I try not to eat sweets like cake and ice-cream, but I often fail to limit myself for doing that. Being a slander is always very difficult for me; nevertheless, I'll keep trying, but not too serious.
DeleteStarting something new in every New Year is a part of my life; exactly, it's the objective which I designed and desired to do. Also, this upcoming New Year, for me, it will be one great year of me to start studying a master's degree, meeting new friends like this year, and working as a volunteer in the social organizations.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to praise your skill of writing, especially in this topic. It's all connected smoothly and I often get new ideas from your thoughts ;)
Thank you Punn for your comment and compliment on my writing.
DeleteI will keep your praising as encouragement to develop my English writing skill better and better.
And I hope you will achieve in your aims and receive a great number of good things or anything you desire in the next year. Good luck.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete