How to build grit and resilience.

This post was originally shared in my semi-frequent Learn Something New(sletter). To never miss info like this, join the party! 🥳

When Angela Duckworth was younger, she decided that she wouldn’t have a job, she’d have a calling. “I’ll challenge myself every day. When I get knocked down, I’ll get back up. I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I’ll strive to be the grittiest.” After decades of research she has shared how grit breeds success. Simply put: you better work.

Biggest whoa moment: There are four psychological assets to build grit:
Interest - the curiosity to stay on task
Practice - those who persevere succeed
Purpose - connection to the work
Hope - optimism after failure

For some, that might make you stop in your tracks. What if you don’t know what your interests are? How will you choose the perfect thing to practice and work on? How will you know you’ll find your purpose in life? Duckworth notes it’s less complicated: “Passion begins with intrinsically enjoying what you do.” There’s not one true passion hiding out there. Instead, by connecting with what we enjoy and working hard, you can transform an interest into a purpose.

Put it into practice now: Start small: Define your “one hard thing.” This is something that challenges you and you have interest in. Decide that you’ll try your best at it for a specific amount of time, no matter what. Duckworth chose yoga. Yours might be an art class, learning another language or trying a new recipe every week. Whatever it is, challenge yourself and don’t shift gears until the allotted time has passed.

Want something even meatier? Develop your “life philosophy.” Understanding yourself, your desires and what drives you will help you define your north star. Duckworth follows Warren Buffet’s 5/25 rule in three steps to help get there:
1. Write down a list of 25 career or life goals.
2. Spend time with your list and select the five most important goals.
3. Those other 20 goals that didn’t make the short list? Avoid them. Add them to your To-Don’t List. They’re distractions that will eat up time you should commit to your other goals.

Go deeper:
Read the book yourself: Grit by Angela Duckworth
Are you a parent or teacher? Get actionable advice from Duckworth’s Character Lab
Enjoy a quiz and see how gritty you are: The Grit Scale

Want your one hard thing to be working on becoming a better leader or transforming your career? I’m here for that! Want to develop your life philosophy and north star but need help cutting through the noise of everything you want to accomplish?