Skill Mastery & Peak Performance through Deliberate Practice with Psychologist Anders Ericsson

My guest today is Anders Ericsson, author of the renowned book "Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise". He is among the world's leading authorities on how to new master skills. Anders is a Professor of Psychology and conducted much of the research on expertise and peak performance that Malcolm Gladwell famously referenced to develop the 10,000 hour rule in Gladwell's book Outliers. However, as we discuss today, Malcom Gladwell mis-interpreted much of the science behind the 10,000 hour rule. Anders demonstrates that talent is overrated and peak achievement is dependent on a specific type of learning called "deliberate practice", and that your skill in any area is a function of the quantity and quality of "mental representations" you have for that activity.

We explore the science of learning and of skill mastery -- how it happens, and how to do it.