It can be easy to assume that success in life is based in large part on talent and natural ability in the field of study (especially for musicians). And yes, of course talent helps. Yet at the same time, if you study those who have achieved amazing, mind-blowing accomplishments, the one trait they all share is grit. The concept of grit was pioneered by Angela Duckworth in her book "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance". Duckworth spent years studying top achievers in a variety of fields: finalists at the National Spelling Bee, teachers working in some of the most difficult schools, newly admitted trainees in the West Point Military Academy, and successful individuals such as the CEO of JP Morgan. Through her research, Duckworth discovered that the finalists who ended up winning, or the teachers who stuck through their tenure, all shared a unique combination of passion and perseverance which she labeled grit. Grit takes into account not only resilience and motivation, but also the idea of finding a meaningful passion and committing to it in the long-term.
Grit is perhaps the best gauge we have thus far for longterm success. Those who display grit in simple, small activities (an example would be continuing to run on the treadmill despite the monotony or exhaustion) often end up thriving off of the same qualities later in life. The question is, however, if it is possible to develop grit, or if it is a quality with which we are born. To find out your initial grit score, take a moment to explore the grit quiz on Angela Duckworth's website. This will give you a good idea of how far you are in your exploration of grit and which steps are the best for you going forward.
Angela Duckworth
Want to know how gritty you are? Find out by using the Grit Scale.
Now, here are a few of the steps you can take to continue developing a "gritty" mindset:
Face your fears: Go out and face your fears. Even if it results in you falling on your face, at least you’ll know that you tried and gave it your best effort. In fact, most of the time our fears are unfounded and exceptionally exaggerated by our brains.
Find your “meaning/purpose” in life: Finding and identifying that which gives your life meaning is an essential step to developing grit. We are much more motivated to work on something that we find meaningful. Take a moment now to explore the "gratitude" section of this website; discovering what we are grateful for is a good first step to discerning and clarifying what gives our life purpose.
Make sure your brain is challenged: It is impossible to develop grit without challenge. That being said, try to push yourself past whatever imaginary limits may have been created. In reality, our brains and our bodies can achieve so much more than we could possibly imagine.
Work on developing mindfulness: Mindfulness is a very important tool for grit. Mindfulness activities such as meditation or deep breathing can help us focus our constant flow of thoughts into a more organized and manageable stream. Meditation can help us achieve control over our brain and realize that our negative thoughts are in fact unfounded and unhelpful.
Face your fears: Go out and face your fears. Even if it results in you falling on your face, at least you’ll know that you tried and gave it your best effort. In fact, most of the time our fears are unfounded and exceptionally exaggerated by our brains.
Find your “meaning/purpose” in life: Finding and identifying that which gives your life meaning is an essential step to developing grit. We are much more motivated to work on something that we find meaningful. Take a moment now to explore the "gratitude" section of this website; discovering what we are grateful for is a good first step to discerning and clarifying what gives our life purpose.
Make sure your brain is challenged: It is impossible to develop grit without challenge. That being said, try to push yourself past whatever imaginary limits may have been created. In reality, our brains and our bodies can achieve so much more than we could possibly imagine.
Work on developing mindfulness: Mindfulness is a very important tool for grit. Mindfulness activities such as meditation or deep breathing can help us focus our constant flow of thoughts into a more organized and manageable stream. Meditation can help us achieve control over our brain and realize that our negative thoughts are in fact unfounded and unhelpful.