“Grit can’t be measured on pop quizzes, but it can often predict long-term success more than mere intelligence.” – Laura Moser
As I explore effective ways to conquer breast cancer, mindset is at the core of that strategy. How do I want to shape and forge a healthy mindset? What have been effective in my client’s lives and businesses over the last 15 years. Grit is central to all of it. The dictionary defines grit as; a firmness of mind or spirt; unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger. It is fortitude and having a backbone.
Grit won’t allow you to quit! Even when you feel you could use a break. You understand you may fail along the way, yet it is the resolve and tenacity that helps you get back up. It is an under-appreciated quality that is tied to your future success.
Angela Duckworth, the well-known psychologist, has done a great deal of research on the topic of grit. She has put the spotlight on why grit is SO important to our future success. I highly recommend her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
According to Duckworth, what differentiates grit from resilience and perseverance is that it involves the ability to maintain your determination and motivation over long periods of time. Even in the face of adversity or repeated failure. It is the ability to stay the course. Her research shows that grit is “an ultimate concern”–a goal you care about so much, that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do.”
I see Thomas Edison as a living example of someone who had a tremendous amount of grit. Edison failed over 10,000 times before perfecting the incandescent electric lightbulb. Grit keeps us from worrying about failing.
2 Ways to increase grit in your life:
1. Grace:
Grace gives you permission you to engage in deliberate “practice”, not perfection but the beauty of learning as you go. You allow yourself to receive feedback because you understand that feedback is mastery! Practice makes perfect, with a caveat. If you are unwilling to get feedback and make the necessary adjustments, you may be ineffective in the way you are practicing and applying grit. Grace allows you to learn from your failures.
“Any time the students failed they merely thought of it as being another ‘practice attempt’. Being gritty doesn’t mean not showing pain or pretending everything is O.K. In fact, when you look at healthy, successful and giving people, they are extraordinarily self-aware. They’re able to say things like, ‘I totally lost my temper this morning.’ That ability to reflect on yourself is signature to grit.” – Angela Duckworth
2. Hope:
In life and in business, failure is inevitable. Yet if we learn to accept failure as part of the process we welcome failure as an opportunity. This is where you can reframe the experience, to learn, grow and improve. What matters is that hope gives us the focus to believe things will work out so we can get back up. This mindset will increase your likelihood of succeeding!
Grit gives hope wheels to keep moving forward! That is what active-hope is, instead of passive hope.
“Over time, grit is what separates fruitful lives from aimlessness.” John Ortberg
As a worthwhile quality, grit stands alone in its determination to go the long haul and predicts our ability to achieve challenging goals. If you have a big bodacious dream or calling, you will need belief in your goal and the grit to create that reality. Get out there, get gritty and make it happen. You’ve GOT this!
If you are looking for a community who is like minded, forward thinking and full of grace and grit, join our Circle Of Trust community on Facebook.
My desire is that this newsletter gives you strength and stamina to access the grit within you to accomplish the ideas and goals that matter to you!
xoxox
Betsy