There is no craft without graft.

Whether people are born with natural talent or whether it is developed in the environment they grow up in is a consistent debate. Records of young children with musical virtuosity are examples that would suggest that there is an element of base skill that can be innate in some.

Many of us develop our skills in areas of academia, sports, linguistics, music, art, science and even social interaction from our early years through into adulthood by exposure and experience. We can find an area of passion or of natural propensity which aids us on our journey of growth and development. Through practice we can excel and build on any initial leanings into experts or professionals in our chosen field.

What we see repeatedly is that those that maintain performance in their chosen area for the longest period work the hardest. Natural talent, passion or predisposition can only take us so far. To optimise an area takes work.

There is a theory that, in order to develop a skill to its highest level, it takes 10,000 hours of practice. That’s a tough target. At eight hours a day, seven days a week, it would be three-and-a-half years. Many of us don’t have the luxury of spending that level of time every day of the week to develop our skills in the areas of our passions.

So what’s the point of trying?

Practice creates progress – and progress is the reward. It’s up to us whether we target the progress we can make over 10,000 hours. Remember that this is a theoretical target anyway. Working for progress is our aim. Over a day, a week, a month or three-and-a-half years, it doesn’t matter. We embark upon each session for progress and, no matter whether your practice includes physical training, research or practical experience, every minute of practice is a step forward.

We can reach a stage where practice becomes a toil. No matter our passion for an area, this is a risk for anyone. Our passion can become hard work. This is where the most successful keep going. They don’t give up because things have got hard. They plan and execute the practice despite the tough going – not to the extent of burn out (the experts have a sensible practice plan) – but keeping going when the graft is required is the pathway.

Yes, to build the craft, you need to graft.