Fear of public speaking is one of the most common among adults. When we stand in front of an , the body may react if it were in danger: the heart races, the shake, and the mouth goes dry. Researchers have that reframing these feelings as rather than anxiety can performance. In one study, people who told ‘I am excited’ before speaking were rated as more and .

The idea that anyone can become an expert with 10,000 hours of practice became popular after a best-selling book in 2008. The number came from research by the psychologist Anders Ericsson, who studied young violinists at a music academy in Berlin. The best students had practiced, on average, about 10,000 hours by the age of twenty.

Ericsson himself later objected to the way the finding was presented. First, 10,000 was an average, not a magic threshold; some experts needed far fewer hours and others far more. Second, and more important, not all practice is equal. What mattered was deliberate practice: focused effort on specific weaknesses, usually with a teacher’s feedback.

Simply repeating an activity that one can already do comfortably produces little improvement. A student who rehearses a presentation alone many times in the same way may become more comfortable but not much more skilled. Practicing in front of others, recording oneself, and working on specific problems, such as speaking too fast, is far more effective.

Later research has also shown that the amount of practice explains only part of the difference between people, especially in some fields. Natural ability, starting age, and the quality of instruction all play roles.