The 10,000 Hour Rule

Are you familiar with Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 Hour Rule? It's from his book OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS.
     It basically states that the best way to achieve international stardom is to spend 10,000 hours honing your skills. And he cites numerous examples, especially in the sports arena, of people who have done it.
     As my career has grown and I've gotten closer to actually having devoted 10,000 hours to creating children's books, my hubbie and I have been talking about this 'rule' quite a bit. Am I where I should be considering the work I've put in? Can one expect to be at a certain level of success by a certain time? Is there any such thing?
     To quote the article - as Frank Furedi, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, said those who put in many hours of practice effectively make their own luck: “They work relentlessly hard, which means when their luck comes they are ready for it.”
     Now that, I do believe. Although I ADORE what I do, I work pretty darn hard and there are many good things that have happened in my career simply because I was prepared when an opportunity arose.
     As for the rest of it? I'm getting closer to 10,000 hours and I'm watching!