Expertise and Expert Performance

Ive been reading a great deal about the work of Anders Ericsson, a preeminent scientist whose chief interest is the attainment of expertise and expert performance. After more than 25 years of research he's found that the one thing that unites experts in every field (scrabble, chess, tennis, medicine, etc) is what most would expect, practice. True experts, those who consistently perform at the highest level, have practiced their respective craft for at least 10,000 hours. Perhaps his most surprising assertion is that geniuses (i.e. experts) are not born but made. Even Mozart, the prodigy apotheosis, was not born "Mozart" but through prodigious practice and excellent tutelage became "Mozart." Genius' are simply people who from a young age become obsessed and through pantagruelian discipline and sacrifice honed their craft to an art form.
There are several reasons why I find this theory attractive. Firstly, I think oftentimes it's easier to dismiss failure as simply beyond one's inherent ability than to actually keep working at it. For instance, I might find a concept in physics intensely difficult and in my frustration say "well I'm no Einstein." But according to Ericsson, it is only through deliberate practice (effortful work at or above one's capacity) that we begin to make real gains. Moreover, who doesn't like the idea that anyone, barring great mental handicap, can become an expert. Its a seductive theory, until you remember what expertise demands, 10,000 hours of deliberate, make-your-brain-hurt practice. That's over 416 solid days of practice or if you put 2 hours in every day, you'd be a genius in 13 years. If excellence is your Raison d'être than Ive just preached the gospel, if not than this post means little. However consider the fact that a recent study showed that students who believe that intelligence is malleable (as opposed to fixed) receive better grades in school on average. Even if your not about to devote the next 13 years of your life to something, it seems a salutary assumption.
I'd be a poor scientist if I did not cite my betters so, for those inclined, enjoy these adscititious articles.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17908378?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17642130?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum