| Many of life's failures are people who did not realize | | | | deep groove-like tracks in the rug. But unlike the |
| how close they were to success when they gave | | | | permanent marks engraved into the rug from the |
| up" (Thomas Edison) | | | | constant traffic of people walking back and forth |
| "The only place where success comes before work | | | | through the hallway, the deep furrows created by |
| is in the dictionary" (Vidal Sassoon) | | | | the trolley disappear within a few days! In other |
| "Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great | | | | words they are short-lived. |
| works are performed not by strength, but | | | | This example is analogous to the memory trace |
| perseverance" (Samuel Johnson) | | | | created by regular and consistent repetition over an |
| I felt that it was a good idea to jumpstart this article | | | | extended period compared to the short-term |
| with those three quotes above. | | | | memory trace developed from short-lived but very |
| It has been said that Thomas Edison (the inventor of | | | | intensive cramming! |
| the light bulb) attempted and failed more than 10,000 | | | | The "Fab Four" otherwise better known as the pop |
| times before he finally succeeded in inventing the | | | | group The Beatles apparently practiced 8hrs every |
| modern light bulb; which fact in my book makes him | | | | day of the week, so that by the time they hit the |
| superbly qualified to boldly state what he had to say | | | | big time they had already performed at least 1200 |
| about failure. | | | | live performances! That was no mean feat when you |
| What Factors Differentiate The Best from The | | | | consider that most modern bands never achieve that |
| Rest? | | | | exalted number throughout the band's lifespan-which |
| It's oft remarked that "Genius Is 1% Inspiration And | | | | lifespan could extend across several decades! |
| 99% Perspiration." Apparently these days scientists | | | | Nearly Every Overnight Success Was Several Years |
| can give you an almost exact figure for what it | | | | In The Making! |
| takes to become The Best of The Best in your field. | | | | I'm guessing you have heard or read tale of at least |
| That figure is 10,000 hours of regular practice! | | | | one overnight success story. Certainly if you are no |
| According to modern research persons who excel | | | | stranger to the internet marketing arena then you |
| within the top bracket of their chosen discipline, be | | | | have probably stumbled upon plenty of sites and |
| they musicians, athletes, academicians or | | | | individuals touting their apparent overnight success |
| what-have-you, got to their enviable and lofty status | | | | (or something close to it). But the truth of the |
| mainly through the sheer sweat and grime of | | | | matter is that nearly every single overnight success |
| repetitive performance, an activity otherwise known | | | | story was at least several months in the making if |
| as regularly practice. | | | | not years! But publicizing that it took you several |
| Undoubtedly talent and even luck have some say in | | | | years to get where you are (hopefully the top of |
| the matter but when push ultimately translates into | | | | the heap) doesn't make for compelling reading and |
| shove, the marginal difference between being merely | | | | acts even less as compelling argument to persuade |
| good and being absolutely brilliant, boils down to the | | | | people to action! |
| every grunt work of practice! (Sorry folks…there's | | | | So it has become common practice for both the |
| just no way round it) | | | | mainstream media and the no- so-mainstream and |
| According to recent studies conducted by | | | | certainly in the internet business world, to either piece |
| neurologists it takes the brain of the typical individual | | | | your tale of success together in such a way that we |
| at least 10,000 hours of repeated exposure to a | | | | the gullible invariably make that invisible leap of |
| specific pattern of activity before it fully assimilates | | | | assumption that so readily embraces overnight |
| the exact nature of the activity to the point that the | | | | success. Or you can be downright economical |
| individual can replicate the activity as a true virtuoso. | | | | altogether with the truth, as illustrated in the |
| Consider this somewhat simple but illuminating | | | | following example, and just make up the facts: |
| scenario: | | | | Folklore (well actual medialore) has it that former |
| Picture a thick office rug in a hallway upon which | | | | Supermodel Iman (now married to Singer David |
| hundreds of people tread across each and every day. | | | | Bowie) was discovered as a poor herd's girl whilst |
| Over time the trace of a path appears in the rug | | | | tending goats in Somalia. Makes for a compelling |
| which apparently serves as a step-marker upon | | | | rags-to-riches classic tearjerker doesn't it? But alas, |
| which subsequent visitors follow plodding their way | | | | about the only truth to that widely circulated media |
| across the hall. In time that path-trace becomes a | | | | story was the fact that Iman was indeed from |
| permanent and worn furrow in the rug. Something | | | | Somalia. She was neither a herd's girl nor poor! Her |
| similar to that happens in your brain when it is | | | | father was a diplomat and she was, as is to be |
| exposed over and over again to the same repetitive | | | | expected of a diplomat's daughter, educated in the |
| patterns characteristic of a particular activity. A deep | | | | finest institutions! |
| memory trace becomes engraved across your brain | | | | But you gotta admit, that hyped story did make for |
| when the same neuronal pathways get stimulated | | | | a riveting Cinderella-like yarn! And seeing as the story |
| over and over again to accomplish the same specific | | | | was manufactured by a "reputable" magazine it was, |
| activity! | | | | for the longest time, lapped up as gospel truth. |
| Now let's go back to our rug in the hallway again (rug | | | | So there you have it, the bitter truth in all its |
| here is interchangeable with carpet by the way, if | | | | sugarcoated-less glory! Unless you win the lottery or |
| you're happen not to hail from the North Americas). | | | | are bequeathed a large sum of money by a relative, |
| Imagine that some workers wheel in some very, | | | | you are simply going to have to roll up those sleeves |
| very heavy machinery laden upon a trolley across the | | | | and work for your success like all the rest of the |
| rug. The wheels from that trolley are going to leave | | | | overnight success stories out there! |