Angela Duckworth – a global expert in behavioural science and renowned psychology leader – defines grit as “passion and sustained persistence applied towards long-term achievement”, without worrying about rewards or recognition from others along the way. Being 'gritty' is related to how much you can inspire yourself, access your passion, and sustain your motivation. It has been said by many that gritty people believe, “everything will be alright in the end, and if it is not alright, it is not the end.”
Noticing and collecting your small wins along the way, provides you with evidence of your forward momentum, which in turn fuels your ongoing drive and desire to persevere.
Duckworth is the first to say that the essence of grit remains elusive, however it can be nurtured by flexing and regularly exercising your: courage, achievement-oriented conscientiousness, commitment and follow-through to long-term goals, resilience, and focusing on excellence not perfection.
Grit has been seen as a virtue since the time of Aristotle, who understood that humans need purpose to make an impact and to be recognised. We want to survive. We want to keep going. We want to thrive. Grit and perseverance are about how we do that in a positive and meaningful way. It’s finding reasons – in the face of all of life’s hardships – to flourish and be passionate about achieving things.
Within each of us, we have the power to keep learning and growing - to become well-rounded, capable people who don’t just endure life, but enjoy it too.
So keep trying, keep experimenting, keep practising and keep celebrating along the way, to further develop your grit.
After all, more grit leads to more personal achievements!
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