Time is Money; The True Path to Success by Ryann

Time is Money; The True Path to Success by Ryann - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

“It was fun boys,” said Coach Goodin ironically, after a disappointing 1-9 season. “All we can do is get back to work in the offseason.” That is exactly what we did. Three years later, my senior season, we posted a record of 10-3, and left our destiny for years to come. Hard work and time spent pays off, even if it takes ten thousand hours. Outliers, a book by Malcolm Gladwell, allowed me to understand the world from a different point of view. Gladwell asserts that it takes roughly ten thousand hours to achieve mastery in a field, and an outlier will sacrifice the necessary time to attain that goal. An outlier is someone different from the rest, even if you are not born that way. If you have a will you have a way, hence the 10,000 hours of football practice, the will to sneak out of a window like Bill Gates to program software, or to play music every night like the Beatles. For little to no pay, just for the sake of knowing that you are logging hours towards reaching the countdown to zero from 10,000 hours, even if the reward doesn’t pay; it’s worth the risk.

Now that I think about it, my whole life has been one huge risk. From staying up late doing homework to laying out for a fly ball, I do everything to the best of my ability. Do I know that it is all going to be worth it? Absolutely not. With that said, after reading Outliers, I am perfectly fine with that. I know that every math problem I attempt, every minute I study, and every rep I lift just gets me closer to my goal - ten thousand hours.

Before reading this book, I would always take success for granted: “One day I’ll be successful and have a great life!” Obviously, it is fairly easy to assume that if you get decent grades in school, you will attend college; and if you attend college, you will have a great job and be successful. However, Outliers made me realize that I had it all wrong. Success requires time, effort, and immense dedication. It also made me realize that a book could even articulate my own thoughts and emotions, and help me find my voice. It made me want to work harder, be better, and even spread his word to people who are oblivious to how success is achieved. Gladwell spoke to me in a way that I will never forget. Every page I read gave me a higher and higher surge of intellectual inspiration; his words uplifting yet bounded by scientific evidence.

Ten thousand hours. If I want to be successful in this world, that is what it is going to take. What do I want to be successful in? The better question is, “What am I going to do with those ten thousand hours?” It all goes back to my beloved grandfather, Dr. George Ackaouy. The first pediatrician in McMinn County, Dr.Ackaouy may have been the most successful doctor around the area. High school, college, medical school, residency, then fellowship; it is safe to say he reached the ultimate goal of ten thousand hours. However, Gladwell made another valid assumption very clear to me. It is not exactly the time spent doing something; it is the repetition, the practice, the determination, and the refusal to give up by the person. Those exact characteristics are what made my grandfather a success and a phenom in his field, and that is why I think high school students should grasp this concept before they graduate.

It’s almost like learning how to ride a bike. I remember this time of my childhood pretty well actually. Every Sunday, Dad and I would go to the park, hoping to finally overcome the training-wheel era. Possibly the thirtieth week in a row, we seemed to be getting more and more determined. Here we go again. My feet would start pedaling, Dad would run, and then I was off on my own again. Not surprising to either of us, I fell once more. We tried again. And again. And again... “Dad, I just can’t do it. I’m sorry.” Dad laughed and said, “Son, I have wasted too many NFL Sundays to give up now.” So, we kept trying; and everything finally clicked. Dad ran with me, I pedaled, and I rode all by myself to the swing and back. I never needed my Dad’s help again. Maybe this is a silly story to tell, or maybe it goes along perfect with what I am trying to say. Practice makes perfect, even if it is going to take ten thousand hours. It’s our life; therefore it is our choice if we want to push to be the best, or if we wish to give up when success seems unattainable. The smallest things, such as overcoming adversity in football, reflecting on my grandfather’s life, and learning how to ride a bike make me realize what Outliers really means to me. Malcolm Gladwell, I thank you. Not only did you point me in a different direction, but you also taught me a life lesson. I am, indeed, an outlier. Every high school student should read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell; not only because it gives them a blueprint for success, but also because it will reveal themselves as outliers as well.