Have you heard of the 10,000-hour rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his bestselling book, Outliers? The premise is that it takes thousands of hours of dedicated practice to become a true expert. And while that’s great for aspiring concert pianists or Olympic athletes, most of us aren’t striving to be world-class. We just want to get better at what we love to do.

The good news? You can go from absolute beginner to surprisingly competent in just 18 minutes a day. That’s 100 hours in an entire year — just 1% of the time it takes to become an expert.

The 100-Hour Rule: Competency Over Mastery

The beauty of the 100-hour rule is that it allows you to build real, usable skills without the pressure of perfection. With just 100 hours of active learning — not passive reading, but deep, focused practice — you’ll know more than 95% of the population in almost any field.

That’s enough to:

• Build a solid fitness foundation.
• Design a website on WordPress.
• Speak conversational French for your dream trip to Paris.
• Use AI tools fluently in your daily life.

How to Put in 100 Hours

100 hours may sound like a lot, but broken down, it’s doable. Most of us can find 18 minutes a day to focus our energy and attention on a skill or passion we wish to master. 

Another way? Two focused hours of practice over the weekend. Keep at it, and by summer, you could be playing guitar, speaking Italian, or editing videos like a pro (well, a highly competent amateur — but that’s more than enough).

Why Competency is a Superpower 

Competency builds confidence. It makes life richer, more creative, and more joyful.

I’ve spent thousands of hours honing my craft as a writer, but I’ve also put in hundreds of hours dabbling in other fields — cooking, fitness, digital media, and even taking up Acro Yoga at 55. I’m not a world-class yogi, but I can do backbends at 63. I’m not a professional videographer, but I can shoot beautiful and creative reels for social media. 

Sometimes, that’s enough. 

Your Challenge: Choose Something and Start 

What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn? Commit to 18 minutes a day or 100 hours in a year. Make a plan — daily, weekly, weekends — whatever works.

The secret is consistency. Set an intention. Be deliberate. Show up for yourself. 

Because a year from now, you could be a competent coder, a confident dancer, or finally playing the guitar. 

Or, you could still be saying, “Maybe someday.”

Set a timer for 18 minutes right now. Game on. 

What skill is waiting for you?