We all became aware of the term “GRIT” when Angela Duckworth (Psychologist/CEO and Research Scientist) exploded onto the TED Talk scene. Her groundbreaking research into what makes some people more successful than others, clearly proves that our level of grit is a key factor. Watch her TED talk HERE
What is GRIT?
Angela Duckworth defined grit as: “the tendency to sustain interest in and effort toward very long-term goals” (Duckworth et al., 2007).
I like to think of grit as “our ability to go on, despite the odds” and I believe it can be applied to many areas of our lives. Never has there been a better time to use the obstacles we are currently facing due to Covid-19, as an opportunity to grow our grit!
The Growth Mindset
We are all born with our own level of grit, but it is a trait that can be developed through experience and knowledge. One key to improving it, as Duckworth pointed out in her TED Talk, is by “shifting one’s mindset from a fixed to a growth mindset”. The growth mindset (originally coined by Carol Dweck) assumes that we can overcome difficult situations as we work our way through them, by being determined to overcome the obstacles we face along the way, learning as we go.
I love this way of thinking because it assumes that talent and intelligence are just the starting point, not the determinant of our success.
Grit is the motivation that moves us continually toward an important goal. So, if grit is indeed such an important component of our success, how can we improve it? Here are 9 tips (source: APA):
- Be Decisive
Commit to being decisive when you find yourself in a tough situation. There is little room for inconsistency and procrastination. This is the time to make informed decisions that will move you forward towards your goals.
- Analyse and Adjust Your Self-Talk
Listen to your self-talk and think about what you are thinking about. If you find that your self-talk is negative, force yourself to focus on the positive. Yes, you are working from home, but this means you don’t have the dreary commute. All clouds have a silver lining – think about what they are and talk about them.
- Put Things into Perspective
Life can be difficult but with every obstacle that we overcome; we readily move onto the next big challenge. How often do we think about the obstacles we had to overcome to get us where we are today? Not too often. In the grand scheme of your life, certain obstacles will only be remembered as something you went through. This too shall pass.
4. Practice Self -Care
Self-care is a form of self-compassion. Would you treat a beloved guest in your home the way you sometimes treat yourself? Watching too much television, eating unhealthy foods, being neglectful of our exercise and continually giving in to the demands of others are just some of the ways we harm our health and jeopardize our futures. Taking care of ourselves – this includes physically, emotionally and spiritually, is crucial to ensuring that we are at our optimum when difficulties strike.
- Don’t Give up Easily
One of the most important elements of grit is the ability to not give up in the face of adversity. One of my ex-bosses had a saying: “every project costs more money than you think it will and takes more time than you think it will” and I always remember this when setting a goal. It is almost a guarantee that we will stumble cross an obstacle when pursuing our goals. If goals were easy, they would not be called goals!
Don’t allow yourself the luxury of giving up – it’s just too easy. Writing your goals down, making them visual and checking in daily or weekly is a great way to do this. The difference between those who successfully achieve their goals and those who do not, is not that they didn’t encounter any obstacles but that they did not give up when they did.
- Review Your Successes and Failures and Learn from Them
Taking time to review what you have achieved is a great way to encourage yourself to keep going. When we set ourselves a long-term goal to achieve such as studying for an MBA or training for a marathon, we have a long journey ahead of us. Breaking the journey into smaller milestones and then reviewing our success along the way is a great way to stay on track. A friend who decided to run an ultra-marathon was proud to tell me when he completed his first 10km qualifying road race, a mere fraction of what would be expected of him during the final race. Setting milestones and reviewing what you learn from each one is a great way to spur yourself on towards that ultimate goal.
- Apply the Kaizen principle to your goals.
Start with the smallest component of your goal and focus on achieving this milestone first. Then move onto the next and so on. The principle of momentum will spur you on as you go. My example of the friend who completed his first 10km road race – the completion of this race, he later told me, is what assured him that he could accomplish more if he put his mind to it.
- Practice Optimism
Optimism is our ability to remain upbeat even during difficult circumstances. If you’re not the glass is full kind of person, it’s good to know that with practice, this skill can also be developed. Being mindful of the benefits of our circumstances, however small, and focusing on that, rather than the difficulties we face is a wonderful skill to have. In EQ terms, our level of optimism is closely linked to our self-regard. If you are a person who is upbeat about who you are and what you have to offer, you are more likely to be optimistic about the world we live in.
- Practice Gratitude
Life doesn’t always work out the way we had hoped but along the journey there are always moments and things to be grateful for. An enjoyable book, a sunset, a walk along the beach or coffee with a friend – these are the things that make life worth living. Counting just five things every day that we are grateful for, can help us to truly count our blessings, even during difficult times.
What are you grateful for today?
