Luck + 10,000 hours = Genius

So it's official then. If you have a modicum of talent and you work really really hard, then you will get very good at your chosen field.

Who knew?

Well, practically everyone with a functioning brain, I would suggest.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-1088303/Luck--hard-graft--Genius-OUTLIERS-Malcolm-Gladwell.html

We had post parents' evening chats with both kids. In both cases this resulted in red faces and sobbing. In one case it resulted in a terse text frommy daughter saying"Bullies!" .

Because you see as parents we're only supposed to say relentlessly jolly, upbeat things. Unfortunately I'm not good at not saying what needs to be said. I'm also fairly rubbish at paraphrasing to soften the blow. I reason that if I say things very gently they won't get through. I reason this way because I have tried it and it doesn't work. What I have to say is:

"You're not working hard enough."

It's not enough to be good at something. You have to work at it if you want the top marks. Sometimes children have a rather X Factor approach to success. "I want to be an A student, and I'm good at everything, so why am I not getting top marks?"

Well, as a wild stab in the dark, probably because you do the minimum to get by, cut and paste instead of researching properly and writing out the results, and spend more time trying to get people to compliment you than actually doing the work better.

Just a guess.

The other one needs to spend more time focussed on his work and less on larking around with his mates. It's not rocket science.

But probably the fact that they witness me grafting and not getting anywhere doesn't help... But then I'm not quite at my 10,000 hours yet. But I will be soon.