We tend to think that if we do something regularly, routinely, and practice it often, we will probably be pretty good at it. In many cases, this is true. You’ve probably heard of the 10,000-hour rule, which was created by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers.” The rule goes like this: it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of complex skills and materials, like playing a musical instrument. I absolutely believe that this rule of Malcolm Gladwell’s is true. And if this rule is true, how can it be that something we have done all of our lives is also something that we’re not very good at? Thinking is something we do every day… all day. As a matter of fact, as long as we’re healthy and conscious, we don’t have the ability to stop thinking. So an 18-year-old who sleeps eight hours a night has already spent 105,000 hours thinking. That’s more than 10 times the 10,000-hour rule of mastery. Should we automatically assume that every 18-year-old we meet is a master of thinking? I think we can all agree that that’s certainly not the case. So what’s really at play here when we talk about mastering critical thinking?

Part of the answer to that question lies in our ability to define the difference between “everyday thinking” and “critical thinking.”(There’s a difference between “everyday thinking” and “critical thinking”) Critical thinking is process oriented. It’s a thinking methodology designed around clarity, discernment, and solution-oriented outcomes. It’s also very goal-directed. It’s the kind of thinking we use when focused on problem-solving, deciding who to trust, what to do next, or making difficult decisions more effectively. Another important factor we would have to consider about why the 10,000 hour rule doesn’t necessarily mean that we are an expert or a master in something… is what specifically we were practicing during those 10,000 hours. (What and how we practice makes a tremendous difference) It’s important that we train and practice the specific elements that are the essential foundation and components of the competency we desire to master. This is an area where garbage in, garbage out, is particularly pertinent. If you were learning to play guitar and every cord you learned was incorrectly structured, it wouldn’t do you any good to practice that for 10,000 hours. It’s the same with critical thinking. Just because we’re thinking a lot doesn’t mean we’re making ourselves stronger critical thinkers in the long run.

So, if you’re like me when you hear a number like 10,000 hours to master a skill, (It’s unrealistic that were going to put 10,000 hours of practice into anything) you either recognize you don’t have that kind of time to put into anything or you begin to think of ways to get good at the skill without allocating every waking moment to practice. First, let’s acknowledge that the 10,000 hour rule is talking about becoming a master of a skill. Two things come to mind here that can help you significantly.

First, when it comes to becoming an outstanding critical thinker the bar is actually pretty low. Most people don’t even have a defined and repeatable process in place that incorporates the five known best practice steps of sound critical thinking. Just embracing the basics like recognizing the importance of strong observational skills, working on your ability to do better analysis of the facts, getting stronger at drawing conclusions based on relevant data that engages your personal knowledge and experience, refining your communication skills and setting aside time to pull it all together and problem solve, can move you ahead of the competition quite quickly.

And finally, you don’t need to go it alone in developing your plan to become a better critical thinker. Almost every great musician, athlete, performer, or just about anybody else at the top of their game has had great teachers and coaches along the way. This is no different, if you want to cut the time and effort involved in becoming a better critical thinker… Find yourself a coach or mentor who understands the discipline.