The seed for the 10,000-hour rule to reach greatness was a 1993 study of violinists and pianists which found that accumulated practice time rose with musical mastery. It was on the basis of this rule that my violin teacher asked me to clock 10,000 hours of practice before the age of 20. Through living out this motivational idiom, I’ve learned that there are no magical shortcuts or simple formulas – there is only tenacity and the insight you develop through practice. I carry this perspective with me in every endeavor, as I strive to have an indelible impact on my practice area and the world around me.