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Motivation
Why You Shouldn’t Set Goals for Children From a Young Age
Encourage a diverse skill set and exploration before specialization instead.
Posted October 4, 2023 Reviewed by Davia Sills
Key points
- Early goal-setting for children isn't always the best approach, despite popular beliefs.
- A sampling period, in which they try various activities and gain diverse skills, is often more effective.
- Elite athletes, musicians, and scholars have benefited from early diversification.
- Diverse knowledge and broad experiences provide valuable lessons, leading to better career matches.
Remember Malcolm Gladwell's famous "10,000-hour rule" from his bestselling book Outliers? It proposed that achieving mastery in any field required roughly 10,000 hours of practice, emphasizing the importance of early professionalization and intensive practice for becoming an elite in a particular domain.
This approach, known as deliberate practice, encourages setting goals from a young age, investing time, and specializing in a specific field. On paper, it sounds like the surefire path to success, but when we delve into the lives of elite athletes, musicians, and scholars, we find a different story. This article explores the idea that setting goals for your children from a young age might not be the best approach and introduces the concept of a "sampling period" for a more effective journey to success.
Deliberate Practice: The Theory vs. Reality
Deliberate practice suggests that early goal-setting, focused practice, and constant improvement are the keys to excellence. But in reality, many individuals who have risen to the top of their respective fields took a more diverse and circuitous route. They often explored a wide range of activities, gained a broad skill set, and only specialized at a later stage in life. In other words, the idea that one must know one's specialization from a young age is fundamentally flawed.
The Power of the "Sampling Period"
Studies have shown that an approach called the "sampling period" is often more effective for achieving success. During this phase, individuals try various activities, gain diverse skills, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and only choose a field to specialize in once they have a clearer understanding of their passions and abilities.
Elite athletes, for example, rarely specialize in a single sport at a very young age. Instead, they engage in a variety of sports during their formative years, which allows them to acquire broad physical skills and discover their interests and talents. These early diversification experiences provide valuable lessons that can le applied to their chosen sport. later
Consider the journey of Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players of all time. At the age of 6, he dabbled in rugby, skiing, and wrestling, only returning to tennis later. The trial period benefited him not just because he found his true passion but also because his experiences in various sports enriched his tennis game with a unique set of skills.
The "sampling period" principle extends beyond sports and into music and education. Many renowned scientists gathered a wide range of experiences and interests early in their lives, researching different topics before narrowing their focus. This diverse background helps individuals discover their genuine interests and passions.
Comparing England and Scotland, where high school students are required to specialize early versus being encouraged to explore a variety of subjects, the benefits of a "sampling period" are evident. Early specialization may lead to a quicker entry into the workforce, but those who explore different fields before deciding often achieve a better match between their skills and their career. In just six years, they not only closed the wage gap but also earned significantly more than their early-specialized counterparts. Moreover, they tend to have more job satisfaction and lower attrition rates.
Creativity and Broad Knowledge: The Path to Success
Claude Shannon's journey illustrates the value of interdisciplinary knowledge. While studying electrical engineering, he attended a philosophy course that sparked his idea for the binary code, the foundation of today's digital world. This example emphasizes the importance of looking at a problem from one world through a system of concepts from another world.
In today's dynamic world, where changes are the norm, technology evolves rapidly, industries are constantly shifting, and the need for adaptability is paramount, the ability to think creatively and combine knowledge from various fields is crucial for success. The "sampling period" equips individuals with a broader skill set, enabling them to tackle the challenges of this ever-changing environment.
Conclusion
Setting rigid goals for children from a young age, driven by the deliberate practice model, may not be the ideal path to success. The concept of the "sampling period" offers a more flexible and effective approach. It allows individuals to explore their interests, gain diverse skills, and discover their true passions before committing to a specialization. In a world marked by constant change and complexity, the ability to draw from a range of experiences and knowledge is a critical skill for achieving excellence and innovation. So, perhaps it's time to reconsider the way we nurture the talents and aspirations of the next generation.
