--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy…" description: "\"“if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. This insight brought me into the world of performance science, where I encountered the concept of del..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/cal-newport-1302_deliberate_if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy_150621.jpg" --- # if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. This… ![“if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. This insight brought me into the world of performance science, where I encountered the concept of deliberate practice—a method for building skills by ruthlessly stretching yourself beyond where you’re comfortable.” quote by Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/cal-newport-1302_deliberate_if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy_150621.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/cal-newport-1302_deliberate_if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy_150621.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/cal-newport-1302_deliberate_if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy_150621.jpg) > ““if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. This insight brought me into the world of performance science, where I encountered the concept of deliberate practice—a method for building skills by ruthlessly stretching yourself beyond where you’re comfortable.”” [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Valuable skills are hard to acquire; deliberate practice pushes you beyond comfort zones. **In simple terms:** Hard things require hard work. Key Takeaway Embrace deliberate practice for mastery. Themes productivity skill acquisition effort Mood motivational determined Type self‑help educational When to use this quote - learning a new language - sports training - musical instrument - career development Key Concepts deliberate practice growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What skill are you willing to stretch for? - Is the effort justified? A Different Perspective Not all valuable skills are worth the cost. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deliberate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberate/) [Deliberate practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberate-practice/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“It is a lifetime accumulation of deliberate practice that again and again ends up explaining excellence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/it-is-a-lifetime-accumulation-of-deliberate-practice-that-again-and/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Deliberate practice is often the opposite of enjoyable. I like the term “stretch” for describing what deliberate practice feels like,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/deliberate-practice-is-often-the-opposite-of-enjoyable-i-like-the/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Doing things we know how to do well is enjoyable, and that’s exactly the opposite of what deliberate practice demands…. Deliberate practice is above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/doing-things-we-know-how-to-do-well-is-enjoyable-and-that-s-exactly/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“when a branch of psychology, sometimes called performance psychology, began to systematically explore what separates experts (in many different fields) from everyone else. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-a-branch-of-psychology-sometimes-called-performance-psychology/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“craft-centric.” Getting better and better at what I did became what mattered most, and getting better required the strain of deliberate practice. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craft-centric-getting-better-and-better-at-what-i-did-became-what/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“deliberate practice” to describe this style of serious study, defining it formally as an “activity designed, typically by a teacher, for the sole purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/deliberate-practice-to-describe-this-style-of-serious-study-defining/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [“deliberate practice requires that one identify certain sharply defined elements of performance that need to be improved, and then work intently on them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-colvin/deliberate-practice-requires-that-one-identify-certain-sharply/) [Geoff Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-colvin/) > [“Aikido practice is a method of incorporating the fundamentals of Great Harmony, Great Love, and Gratitude into one's own heart. To integrate these fundamentals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-holiday/aikido-practice-is-a-method-of-incorporating-the-fundamentals-of/) [Linda Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-holiday/) > [Keep the remembrance of your real nature alive, even while working, and avoid haste which causes you to forget. Be deliberate. Practice meditation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/keep-the-remembrance-of-your-real-nature-alive-even-while-working-and/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [Some people seem to have extreme natural wiring - a talent that seems to come out of nowhere. Like a music savant or prodigy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/some-people-seem-to-have-extreme-natural-wiring-a-talent-that-seems/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [“Deliberate Practice, which he has identified as the key to exceptional achievement. When you practice deliberately, you identify the tasks or knowledge that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/deliberate-practice-which-he-has-identified-as-the-key-to-exceptional/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“In other words, deliberate practice is for preparation, and flow is for performance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/in-other-words-deliberate-practice-is-for-preparation-and-flow-is-for/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“deliberate practice—practice designed to develop mastery in the specific areas required by whatever role or position we are targeting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/deliberate-practice-practice-designed-to-develop-mastery-in-the/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [What determines how much time and deliberate practice a child is willing to devote to achievement? Nothing less than her character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/what-determines-how-much-time-and-deliberate-practice-a-child-is/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) ## More by Cal Newport > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“many software companies now deploy the Scrum project management methodology, which replaces a lot of this ad hoc messaging with regular, highly structured, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/many-software-companies-now-deploy-the-scrum-project-management/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“when paying more than $1,000 a day to write the chapter in a suite of an old hotel down the street from a Hogwarts-style…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-paying-more-than-1-000-a-day-to-write-the-chapter-in-a-suite-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“When deciding whether to follow an appealing pursuit that will introduce more control into your work life, seek evidence of whether people are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-deciding-whether-to-follow-an-appealing-pursuit-that-will/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Let your mind become a lens, thanks to the converging rays of attention; let your soul be all intent on whatever it is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/let-your-mind-become-a-lens-thanks-to-the-converging-rays-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow. In this study, a group of management consultants were asked to disconnect for a full day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/study-by-harvard-business-school-professor-leslie-perlow-in-this/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Here’s the routine: Once a week I require myself to summarize in my “bible” a paper I think might be relevant to my research.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/here-s-the-routine-once-a-week-i-require-myself-to-summarize-in-my/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“craftsman mindset is the foundation for creating work you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craftsman-mindset-is-the-foundation-for-creating-work-you-love/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“the journalist philosophy. This name is a nod to the fact that journalists, like Walter Isaacson, are trained to shift into a writing mode…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-journalist-philosophy-this-name-is-a-nod-to-the-fact-that/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Not long into his 2010 TED talk on creativity and leadership, Derek Sivers plays a video clip of a crowd at an outdoor concert.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/not-long-into-his-2010-ted-talk-on-creativity-and-leadership-derek/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Kirk’s path to American Treasures was incremental. He didn’t decide out of nowhere that he wanted to host a television show and then work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/kirk-s-path-to-american-treasures-was-incremental-he-didn-t-decide/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“If you spend too much time focusing on whether or not you’ve found your true calling, the question will be rendered moot when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-you-spend-too-much-time-focusing-on-whether-or-not-you-ve-found/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Their plans were circumspect and small-time. They weren’t dreaming of taking over the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/their-plans-were-circumspect-and-small-time-they-weren-t-dreaming-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“This chain method (as some now call it) soon became a hit among writers and fitness enthusiasts—communities that thrive on the ability to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-chain-method-as-some-now-call-it-soon-became-a-hit-among-writers/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-best-moments-usually-occur-when-a-person-s-body-or-mind-is/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) [Explore all 257 Cal Newport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## More Deliberate quotes > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [There should be a period of time during each practice session when you perform. Invite some friends in to your practice room and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-jacobs/there-should-be-a-period-of-time-during-each-practice-session-when/) Arnold Jacobs > [“Be deliberate in your choices. We are created to do what we are called to do and what we are born to experience, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-connor/be-deliberate-in-your-choices-we-are-created-to-do-what-we-are-called/) [Julie Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-connor/) > [Deliberate long before thou consecrate a friend, and when thy impartial justice concludes him worthy of thy bosom, receive him joyfully, and entertain him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/deliberate-long-before-thou-consecrate-a-friend-and-when-thy/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats and drink and air and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/we-study-health-and-we-deliberate-upon-our-meats-and-drink-and-air/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Deflation means a slowdown of income growth. Markets shrink, new capital investment and employment also taper off, so wages decline. That is what's happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/deflation-means-a-slowdown-of-income-growth-markets-shrink-new/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [I say that human nature is the original beginning and the raw material, and deliberate effort is what makes it patterned, ordered, and exalted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xun-kuang/i-say-that-human-nature-is-the-original-beginning-and-the-raw/) [Xun Kuang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xun-kuang/) > [Even today to be civilised is held to be synonymous with being westernised. Advanced countries devote large resources to formulating and spreading ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/even-today-to-be-civilised-is-held-to-be-synonymous-with-being/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Holidays are in no sense an alternative to the congestion and bustle of the cities and work. Quite the contrary. People look to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/holidays-are-in-no-sense-an-alternative-to-the-congestion-and-bustle/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [I often think about how my sons will come to know about September 11th. Something overheard? A newspaper image? In school? I would prefer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-often-think-about-how-my-sons-will-come-to-know-about-september/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [In our lives and in our careers, whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly navigating a path by deciding between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/in-our-lives-and-in-our-careers-whether-we-are-aware-of-it-or-not-we/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [“a creature cloistered now by deliberate choice and still in the throes of enforced apprenticeship to, rather than voluntary or even acquiescent participation in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/a-creature-cloistered-now-by-deliberate-choice-and-still-in-the/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“Success is a choice; you choose it and work it out! Excellence is deliberate and so it is intentionally pursued. No successful person ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/success-is-a-choice-you-choose-it-and-work-it-out-excellence-is/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Theory may be deliberate, as in a chapter on chemistry, or it may be second nature, as in the immemorial doctrine of ordinary enduring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/theory-may-be-deliberate-as-in-a-chapter-on-chemistry-or-it-may-be/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) [Browse all 503 Deliberate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. 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