The Dan Plan – Proving the 10,000 Hours Theory
I ran across an article about the Dan Plan today, and I think every musician (or want-to-be musician) should read it.
Dan is your average guy who is doing a slightly phenomenal thing: His plan is to become a pro golfer in six years through hardHe decided he wanted to prove the 10,000 hour theory. (Wait, you’re familiar with Malcom Gladwell‘s theory that one can become amazingly great at something if they put in 10,000 hours of practice, right? Cool.) So that’s what Dan’s doing. He quit his job as a commercial photographer and hits the golf course every day for six hours. He’s doing this for six years, and blogging, posting on Twitter, updating on Facebook during the experience.
Here’s the catch: He’s never really golfed before this self-created challenge.
Can Dan turn from beginner to pro in six years? It’s a long shot, but I’m not following him on Twitter or Facebook to only find out that answer (even though how cool would it be to see him in the PGA!). No, I’m reading for a reminder to be courageous and dedicated. As a musician, I’m finding Dan’s plan completely inspiring, a powerful reminder to stop saying, “Oh, I wish I could have…but I never started when I was younger and it’s too late now.” A powerful reminder to try that inner wish we’ve only imagined.
I think this guy knows what I’m talking about.
What if every person who had an itch to try playing a musical instrument just did it? We’d have new pockets of communities being strengthened. Neighbors would become jam partners. More bars and coffee house would host open mics. More campfires would be filled with music.
Maybe the Dan Plan will help inspire some new plans for future musicians. We don’t have to quit our jobs to do it (well, some of us might have to), but we do need to quit coming up with excuses and recognize hours of practice can be a deeply rewarding experience. Especially when you can finally play that favorite song with your own hands.
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