Grit has been studied by Angela Duckworth and according to her, it is an indicator of success. So what exactly is Grit?
Grit is passion and continuous persistence applied to long-term goals. If you continue putting in effort and are passionate about something for a long period of time you are more likely to achieve success.
This is the complete opposite of what the world has become about. It is all about instant gratification. People want what they can achieve fast. Whether it is a million dollars through the lottery or fame overnight. Instant gratification gives you an instant dopamine hit and you keep wanting more and that’s what we have come to expect. But nothing worthwhile is achieved overnight or in a few months.
Because we expect instant gratification when we don’t get it we end up giving up. We then think we weren’t good enough at something and shouldn’t pursue it. But that is not true. We aren’t born with all the gifts it takes persistent hard work to achieve anything.
Look at any sports player. Let’s use Tiger Woods as an example. He wasn’t born a star at a very young age his dad made him play golf and he continued putting in time and effort. His dad coached him. Tiger Woods still puts time and effort in and that is why he remains a start.
The same is for if you want to become a blogger. So many people start blogging and give up because they expect that overnight they will have a million followers. Well, the hard truth is the only person reading your blog at the beginning will be your mom, and some days you might even have to beg her to read. It takes months and years to build a following.
Achieving your goal is not a race it is a marathon and you have to keep putting in hardworking to achieve it.
We have to change our mindset from we want something and we want it tomorrow to instead enjoying the journey. The journey has its benefits and it makes you learn.
For example, in a blog when you first launch you might not understand how search engine optimization works or what you want to write about. You can use the journey to experiment without the added pressure of having millions of followers. We need to learn to take the journey as a learning opportunity and enjoy it.
How to add Grit to your life?
Learn from failure
Failure is inevitable and that is okay. You have to take it as a learning opportunity even though it might not seem like one in the moment. After the moment reflect and see what can you do to improve.
Ask for feedback
We might have gaps in the way we see our own projects. Ask a friend, co-worker, family member, or co-worker for feedback and you can improve. Take the feedback as a learning opportunity instead of as a personal attack.
Continue Practicing
Skills are not built overnight is the lesson from understanding Grit. So, spend time developing skills. Just like if you were to work on toning your body the muscles won’t form over night that is how any goal works.
Try things you are interested in
It is easier to be consistent about something you actually enjoy. So find something you enjoy and learn those skills and somehow add it to your work. Interested in coaching or mentoring someone at work because you like helping maybe ask your supervisor if you can mentor the newly hired employee. Brainstorm ideas about what you are passionate about and how you can add that to your life.
What is something you enjoy working on but have been putting off? Is there a way you can use the Grit theory to start working on it and put in the time?
This short talk could change the way you think about your goals.
