One Focus

10,000 Hour Rule

Malcolm Gladwell defined this concept in his book Outliers: The Story of Success, studying the rise of Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, the Beatles and other phenomenal success stories. In order to become a master at your craft, he determined through his research, you have to dedicate at least 10,000 hours. This is the minimum threshold of focused experience that will set you apart from amateurs and the rest of the world.

We see this phenomenon clearly in the elite athlete community. Michael Phelps started swimming competitively at age 7, and already held a national record for his age group in the 100-meter butterfly by age 10. According to his coach, Bob Bowman, Phelps didn’t miss a morning practice from the age of 11 through 16 years-old. He would practice on Sundays, birthdays and Christmas mornings to keep his competitive edge. At an average of four hours per day in the pool, this meant Phelps had already shattered the 10,000 hour rule by the time he competed in his first Olympics at Sydney in 2000, as the youngest male to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years.

Having stated in the previous verse his conversion brought about a new assessment of his goals and gave him overwhelmingly desire to know Christ, Paul then explains how his present life is a pursuit in this new direction, BUT DOESN’T WANT TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD.

Philippians 3:12–4:1 NLT

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

FOCUS ON ONE THING

FORGET THE PAST

LACK OF PERFECTION

GODLESS

SINFUL

DEAD

*FOOTBALL MISTAKE - SHAKE IT OFF

PAST FAILURES, RELATIONSHIPS ETC

LOOK FORWARD TO PERFECTION

HEAVEN

GLORIOUS BODIES

HOW TO GET THERE

IN THE WAITING, HOLD ON TO PROGRESS (FOCUS ON THE WINS AND THE GROWTH AND THE PRIZE)

LOOK FORWARD. BAD DAY, DO BETTER RIGHT NOW AND TOMORROW. (DIET, EXERCISE, GODLY BEHAVIOR)

Heather Dornidad falling and finishing. Focusing on the race and the prize and not the fall.