Do NOT even think about the "10,000 hours". It is a bullshit made-up number from Malcom Gladwell misinterpreting some research. The actual number is vastly di

Do NOT even think about the "10,000 hours". It is a bullshit made-up number from Malcom Gladwell misinterpreting some research. The actual number is vastly different depending on the specific field, and what you count as hours spent. E.g., in the ~decade it took me to get to top international ranks of alpine ski racing, if you count just time 'on the hill', it was probably 15K hours, but if you subtract time on the lifts, it was 3k, and time on track in my best event, it was <100 hours, but if you add in physical training, running, weights, etc, it was probably 30K hours). The same goes for becoming an expert software programmer, sportscar racer, or other skills I've gained. In some, I'm far under the 10k hours, and others far over, and a HUGE amount depends on what you count. E.g., in starting out sportscar racing with Autocross events, I learned some bad habits that needed to be unlearned, but I learned a lot about just organizing, packing, & prepping for an event. So how do those events count? Do we count the days prepping before the event & traveling to it? Yes, "seat time" or "inside the helmet" time counts. But those "10k" numbers are BS. Some learn faster than others, faster in some sections of the knowledge base vs others, better/worse training programs exist, better/worse coaches, etc. The elements I've found critical are: Find the absolute best teachers/coaches/mentors that you can. You will need to learn something, and I've found it's best if you can get it straight from the top. They are often not available, and there are often some deep experts that are obscure, you just have to find them and.or luck into them. OFC, you don't know how to judge from the position of a novice, but look for a focus on understanding how it all works, vs anything flashy (in fact the more anti-self-promotional they are...). Practice time with good feedback. Use every tool at your disposal to get actual feedback on whether you are hitting your marks or not. The tighter the feedback loop, the better. Having video feedback is better than not, if you can watch it instantly, it's better than in the evening, etc. Actual instrumentation so you can see live data can also be critical, but use it to improve your internal sense of whatever is being measured, don't use the readout. Good, but not great, equipment. Poor equipment will give you bad habits, so get advice on what is good enough to prevent that. But don't spend on the top-shelf equipment until you really understand how your middle-of-the-road equipment is holding you back. This will be different for each person. As you gain mastery, you'll need to focus on what equipment improvement will produce what quantified result for what costs (dollars, upgrade time, re-learning time, etc.). Have fun!! Do not make it a slog. There will always be dreary and discouraging days, but it the fun days that keep you going. Enjoy the process!!