Deep Habits: Spend Six Months to Master Skills

Nice article by Cal Newport. I like the 6 month technique. It’s a nice chunk of time to make meaningful progress. But it’s not so big in scope, like the 10,000 hour rule, that it becomes nebulous.

And it fits in well with what I’ve experienced in my military career. After starting any new assignment with no knowledge of the process, I’d say I’m usually up to 80-90% competence at the end of 6 months. At 12 months I’m at a full 100% and starting to plateau, looking to broaden my challenges.

Good takeaway:

Linkner then makes the natural connection between the world of music and business. The same six month rule, he notes, applies to many skills that might give you a competitive edge in your professional life:

“If you want to become reasonably knowledgeable in Asian currency fluctuations, salmon fisheries, or assembly line logistics, a solid six months of study will bring you to point where you can hold a thoughtful conversation.”