Answer: Yes

I had a thought that’s been pushing me solo. Feels true.

Working hard quietly can be a sure-sign of future mastery.

When you work hard quietly, in a vacuum, where no one else is looking, that motivation comes from within. Unless active evolved stagnation kicks in, the 5,000 hour rule only becomes a matter of time. And more likely, casual mastery of that thing will become a part of your identity.

I’m going to use some crass examples, and me examples. Some will land better than others:

People who post on reddit about how much they’re writing are shitter writers than writers who just write.

Not to say checking against references and seeing what works for others isn’t a great idea, but, passionately learning a new skill in a vacuum always gets special results.

On the other hand, needing others to validate that work…well what if your approver goes away for some reason? Work goes down. Results go with.

Overweight people are more likely to let you know exactly how much exercise they’ve done. I feel like the elites are able to ballpark their answer with the starting phrase of “At least ______”

Your enemies and foes both want to fantasize that you’re downtrodden to the point that you’re doing nothing. Rub it in. Work harder than them. Only you can stop you.

Holding yourself accountable = focus.
Enjoying your own results = confidence, esteem and pride.

Honestly there’s not a single thing that I’ve gotten amazingly good at that I didn’t develop by focusing in a vacuum. That way, I also get to spend less energy listening to people who care less opine harder, and it’s actually more fun in the end too.