What are you going to be Exceptional at in 10years?

A few years ago, I got asked this question at an interview and I thought “that’s weird, 10years is a long time!”. In retrospect, that was maybe 8yrs ago now!. So recently, I asked myself the same question and I most tell you, I didn’t find it so weird.

We may not like this question and (like me), we may find it weird. However, I think in 2022, its pertinent to always ask yourself hard questions…… “What are you going to be exceptional at in 10years?” Okay, 5years? 3years? As simple as this question sounds, many people struggle to find an answer.

The real question is this, “Why is it so difficult to answer?”. If you can’t answer this question today, you are not alone. 

Some school of thought suggests that it takes an average of  3hours practice everyday, for every week in a year for a minimum of 3 years to attain mastery of most skills etc. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Whatever your take, the real point is to find that thing you would like to be an expert in.

Passion is a very commonly used word but what we are not told is that passion without direction, work etc. will remain passion or perhaps, a catch phrase. Often you need to have invested the hours to become good at something in order to build a passion.

Skill produces the feedback that makes work enjoyable. So, instead of asking what you’re passionate about, ask yourself what you could become exceptionally good at that society values enough to pay you for it. Then, expect to spend the next decade, 5 years or 3 years becoming exceptionally good at it.