As new-age common wisdom popularised by Malcom Gladwell, 10000 repetitions is the magic number of times one has to practice before he’s proficient in a skill. Which obviously makes it strange to have chosen to practice 6000 punches and kicks over this year - that’s just barely above the halfway mark.
However, the answer is simple - it is reasonably achievable to attain this number over the course of the year. By piggybacking on my existing gym routine, if I am able to repeat last year’s attandence of 300 days, and if I am to practice just 20 punches and 20 kicks a day, by calculations, I would naturally come up to 6000 practices, give and take.
But does anybody truly believe that there is something magic about that 10000 number? Does it mean if you were to stop at 9999, it would have made you much less accomplished just because you’ve missed that 1 last kick for the count?
Ironically, as I’ve noticed in the gym, people get so obsessed with wanting to achieve quick results, to which after a few months, the vast majority will simply quit. You got to ask, “is it worth over-taxing yourselves with goals that are set with unreasonable expectations?”
Progress, not achievement, if there’s a secret to life that I’m able to share with you.
I’ll still be better off being able to stick to my goals. Sure, completing 6000 punches and kicks wouldn’t make me Bruce Lee, but at least I should be more accomplished than where I am today. And if I am able to stick to 6000 for a year, all it takes is another year to cross 10000.
Better be there slow, then not be there at all, so what do you think?
