It takes 10,000 hours to learn enough about the skill to master it. While that can seem like a large amount of time, and it is, but it is far more manageable than most would think. It can be broken down into several discrete steps, and each one makes it easier to learn the skill in question. It is just a matter of deciding how far you break something down into stages.

Breaking It Down

The hard part is deciding what the skill entails simply, which means determining what your goal is with that skill. There will be a far different path between someone who wishes to take a great picture of a sunset versus someone who wants to take pictures well in general. The person trying to master the evenings is going to need to know the types and times of sunsets and look into the science behind them to master their photography. He will also need to get better at photography, primarily because most cameras treat light.

Conversely, the person trying to master all of the photography needs to break it down into composition, lighting, even the best use of the technology itself. He is also going to need to know about how to deal with models, and there is a lot of math that goes into mastering it. The would-be master will need to know all of that and do so with minimal thought. He needs to break down the general skill of “photography” into several discrete steps so that he can master each step before going on to the next.

So About Those 10,000 Hours

Too many see those “10,000 hours” as something that will be hard to overcome simply because it seems like such a vast number. If you break it down into discrete steps, you can better deal with it and decide what it is that you are trying to do with the skill once you master it. Yes: It can take years to master a skill, but it can be well worth it.