I read this article last year, about how the majority of self-made millionaires spend an average of five hours a week (one hour a day) learning or practicing. This article mentions titans like Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and more that all adhere to the five-hour rule.

I’ve been doing some of this with my Miracle Morning practice, but wanted to do more. In my youth, I took a number of classes and learned a ton of different skills that I’ve let lapse over the years. I thought a great goal for 2020 would be to bring some of these talents/skills back to life. I also find that having creative outlets helps to inspire me in my daily work.

Piano

I took piano lessons for many years, up until we moved to Michigan and I started high school. A few years ago, we moved the family piano to my house and part of the reason I wanted it here was so I could pick it back up again.

I can still read music pretty easily and have a number of songs I can play, the problem is all of my instructional books are for children. I can play plenty of rounds of Hickory, Dickory, Dock, but I’d rather play something more in line with my age. I found this book, called Returning to the Piano: A Refresher Book for Adults ($19.99) and it’s perfect for someone like me who can already read music. It has a number of adult songs like “What a Wonderful World,” Sweet Home Alabama,” and “Stand by Me.”

I figure if I commit to 30 minutes of practice a day, I could definitely master some of these songs.

Cake Decorating

My sister and I spent a few summers taking these fun classes offered at our school, which included Wilton Cake Decorating courses. I didn’t do much with it after that until after I graduated college. I really got into it then and made a number of fun cakes. I stopped before we got into fondant, but I can do flowers and roses. People LOVE a themed cake, the reaction you get is always the most fun. I think it would be fun to do a monthly baking project to keep my skills up-to-date. It’s been so long since I made a cake that all my impressive creations are in a shoebox somewhere. I once did this insane cross cake for Easter with tons of little flowers and roses that I spent so much time making in advance.

Horseback Riding

In the summer after the third or fourth grade (I can’t remember exactly), I started attending horsecamp with the Girl Scouts. I spent weeks learning to care for and ride horses. I loved it so much that I started taking lessons, until we moved and I started high school. I was at the point where we had started to do some small jumps. Unfortunately, I haven’t ridden in SO long, but I would love to get back into it. Not just the riding part, but grooming and caring for horses as well. I found a few places in Michigan where I could get back into lessons. It might be something Skyler and I could do together once she gets older. First things first, I need some ducky boots and a riding helmet. Ducky boots are great for riding, because you need a heel, but you can also wear them to muck out stables and anything else. I liked these Liyuandian Womens Lace Up Duck Boots Waterproof Two Tone Combat Calf Rain Shoes ($40.98).

Calligraphy

Ever since I found out that Meghan Markle used to do calligraphy to help out when she first started in the acting business, I’ve been wanting to get back into it. This is one of those things I took a class on in my childhood and loved it! My pens are all old now, so I would need to get some new supplies, but I think it would be really fun to start practicing with my Start Today Journal. I found this Modern Calligraphy: A Beginner’s Guide to Pointed Pen and Brush Pen Lettering ($24) on Amazon to get me started.

Softball

I’ve mentioned before how I’m a big Yankees fan, it’s a fun tradition between my dad and I. When I was younger, I used to play softball and would practice all the time with my dad. I wasn’t a star athlete by any means. but always made up for it with enthusiasm.

A while back, I heard that the Yankees organization runs a fantasy camp for women and I thought it would be really awesome to go one year. BUT, I am totally out of practice and would have to work on it. I definitely need a new glove so I could practice with my husband. I love this Rawlings Player Preferred Adult Baseball/Softball Glove Series ($40.27), it’s classic.

What skills do you want to brush up on or learn in 2020? My goal is to spend five hours a week working on each of these things, I will probably re-master one at a time instead of trying to do them all at once. How can you make the 5-hour rule work for you?

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