I discovered the whole topic of ‘Grit’ by watching this short TED talk by Angela Duckworth a few years ago. I found it enlightening and encouraging. The big takeout was that what distinguishes the best and worst performers in life is how gritty they are. Not talent. Not IQ. Grit.

What exactly is grit?

Duckworth defines grit as ‘passion and sustained persistence applied towards long-term goals’. As the word suggests, it implies maintaining a high level of toughness in the face of adversity. You also need a sense of ambition to keep pushing you forward. Plus a high level of discipline and stamina to keep you on track.

Why is so important?

Grit is what separates success from failure in all aspects of life. Diligence, effort, and hard work will always trump talent. It’s a key predictor of success. For those of us who don’t feel we’ve been gifted huge reserves of natural talent, it’s very reassuring. Grit can be accessed by all of us.

How do you become gritty?

Here are a few suggestions.

1 Embrace failure

Being gritty is about not letting failure deflect you. To accept that failure is essential. All successful entrepreneurs talk about this. Keep trying something new. Learn the lessons, don’t be afraid. One of the most interesting books I’ve read recently is ‘Failosophy’ by Elizabeth Day. It’s beautifully written. It encourages us all to be ‘at peace’ with failure. To accept it. To learn from it. And to move on from it.

2 Find your purpose

In a previous post, I talked about this in more detail. A clear purpose provides you with the emotional energy to keep going. It makes your work more fulfilling. It gives it a greater meaning. It fuels you through difficult moments. It encourages you to act, even when you don’t feel like it.

3 Adopt an underdog mentality

Everyone needs to find their motivation. One source of motivation is the desire to prove others wrong. If you’ve been rejected, or told you’ll never succeed by someone, use this to your advantage. There are many examples. People who have fought against prejudice or criticism. People who had a setback. Indeed in interviews Duckworth herself says her own success was driven by her desire to prove her father wrong.

4 Focus on the small wins

Although having a long-term goal is essential, break it down. Set small milestones. Chuck it down into small increments. Focus on these and celebrate their achievement. Remember, grit is about long-term perseverance. It’s about seeing your journey to success as a marathon, not a sprint.

5 Avoid distractions

We can easily get distracted from the tasks at hand and the goals we set. This is so hard. Johann Hari explores this in great detail in his book ‘Stolen Focus’. He explains how and why our ability to pay attention is falling apart. He also suggests some ways we can get it back. Such as avoiding task switching, taking long breaks from social media, and sleeping well.

6 Work hard

Sounds old-fashioned. Sounds boring, but it’s true. There’s been a lot of discussions recently about the importance of balance, avoiding burnout, and taking care of your mental health. But there's no replacement for hard work. For showing up consistently. For putting in the hours, even if we don't feel like it.

Summary

I love grit. It’s a great word. It sounds hard, it sounds edgy, it’s about getting stuck in. Grit is open to all of us, regardless of our talent. It’s something we can all use to our advantage. Follow some of these suggestions. Get gritty. And as the research tells us, it’ll make us more successful.