Practice Makes Elite

"The critical reality is that we are not hostage to some naturally granted level of talent. We can make ourselves what we will. Strangely, that idea is not popular. People hate abandoning the notion that they would coast to fame and riches if they found their talent. But that view is tragically constraining, because when they hit life's inevitable bumps in the road, they conclude that they just aren't gifted and give up. Maybe we can't expect most people to achieve greatness. It's just too demanding. But the striking, liberating news is that greatness isn't reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone." - Geoffrey Colvin

This same article reiterated the widespread findings that 10,000 hours of practice - spread consistently and daily (weekends included) over a period of years - is a minimum characteristic of elite performance. For the calculator-averse, that works out to about 4 hours per day for seven years, or 3 hours a day for ten.