Deep Habits: Spend Six Months to Master Skills - Study Hacks - Cal Newport

Here's a heuristic to use when looking at skill development. Most you probably do not spend anywhere near six months of dedicated effort to learn skills in school. If you look at the number of days in school (180 per year), you would essentially spend every school day practicing a new skill to really master it. This is where independent study and dedication have to come into play if the skill is indeed valuable.

Deep Habits: Spend Six Months to Master Skills - Study Hacks - Cal Newport

Linkner recalls a piece of wisdom common among professional musicians: a new (musical) technique takes six months to master. As he expands: 

I may have understood the scale, riff, or chord…but it took a good six months to internalize it and make it my own. If I wanted to perform something fresh, new, and bold, I needed to begin the learning process six months prior. 

Linkner then makes the natural connection between the world of music and business. The same six month rule, he notes, applies to many skills that might give you a competitive edge in your professional life: 

If you want to become reasonably knowledgeable in Asian currency fluctuations, salmon fisheries, or assembly line logistics, a solid six months of study will bring you to point where you can hold a thoughtful conversation. 

I strongly agree.