Have Grit!

It sure has been a long while since I wrote my previous article. It’s more than two months since I wrote the article “Focus on getting better, rather than being good”. That was the 5th thing of the 9 things that successful people do differently. 4 more remain and I am yet to write about them because I didn’t follow what I was writing about. ??. Perhaps I lacked Grit, which is the 6th thing that successful people do differently.

 “Work hard, don’t give up and you’ll achieve your goal” – I am sure you’ve heard this or its variants numerous times from your parents, uncles, aunts, teachers, mentors, managers and friends. Often the difference between success and failure boils down to whether a person gives up or stays the course. History is replete with examples of men and women who didn’t achieve success the first time. They tried again and again until they finally succeeded. Grit is that willingness to commit to long term goals and to persist in the face of setbacks.

In reality, despite all the exhortations we give up. Why is that we can’t we persevere? Research done on motivation and perseverance suggests that the answer may lie in our beliefs about our abilities. Simply put, you might be giving up because you think you can’t do it. But why would you think you can’t do it? That belief could stem from another belief that your abilities are fixed and cannot be increased or changed. If your abilities cannot be changed, then you will never be able to solve the issue or problem and it would seem pointless to continue. On the other hand, if you believe that abilities can be improved, you will find ways to increase your ability and then try again with your new found abilities. Also, you will blame setbacks on controllable factors such as insufficient effort, using the wrong strategy, poor planning etc. With this mindset you will work to increase your ability, change the strategy that you used and plan better. All this will lead to success. Also, the thought that you can solve the problem, will motivate you and enable you to persevere.

The next time you are faced with a tough situation and feel like giving up, think about why you feel like giving up. Do you think or feel that you are not equipped to cope with the situation? If so, then, realize that you are dead wrong. Your capabilities are malleable, you can find ways to develop your capabilities and skills. Once your skills and capabilities improve you will find that you can handle the situation that has come up. So, try and improve your skills and acquire new capabilities but don’t give up.

In summary, grit is essential to achieve any large goal. If you think you lack grit, fret not. Here are some steps to becoming gritty:

1. Are there aspects of your job that you feel you aren’t good at? Take a moment to think about that. Be honest.
2. Now, deep down, do you believe you can become good at them, or do you think you are stuck just as you are? If it’s the latter, your belief has been doing you a great injustice, because it’s wrong. Remember that improvement is always possible.
3. Challenge that thinking whenever you catch yourself succumbing to it. Focus on improving and developing your skills. Once you do that, you naturally become grittier in pursuit of your goals.