The One Thing That Will Help You Survive Most Things

For almost a year we have been battered by a pandemic - affecting our physical and mental health, careers, families and businesses, it’s been tough - and we have all searched for ways to cope.  

I wanted to shine a light on an area that has interested me for a while and a wonderful thing that many of us do, maybe don’t even realise that we do, but when its articulated we realise “oh yes maybe I do do that” - this one attribute can help push us through, help us reach our goals (but can be very hard to notice when you are in the thick of it)

Many of you might have heard versions of the phrase “keep going”, don’t give up”, from the ancient Japanese proverb “fall down seven times, stand up eight” to the Finnish “Sisu”, the art of inner strength.

They are referring in one way or another to GRIT.  According to Angela Duckworth, arguably the world’s leading expert on Grit, “Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something. Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals.”  

Think about your own life for a second...

• Have you ever done something you felt really out of your comfort zone doing (then felt really satisfied you did it)
• Have you ever finished something even when you wanted to quit?
• Have you ever tried and tried again when you failed the first or twenty first time?
• Have you ever kept going even though something felt impossible yet you muddied your way through?

All of those are demonstrations of grit. 

They are ways that you push through the discomfort, and try to get to the other side.  In doing so you grow and you get better, and it might not always have been right but you tried and you learned.

Personally, I think about grit in a quiet, carrying on, daily toil kind of sense - it's not glamorous and progress can be imperceptible but you just keep going.  One day when you look back it all seems a little clearer.  The journey may be complex but the consistency of your actions has allowed you to reach a new destination. Having a clear goal or place to get to makes it easier to carry on the path to get there.

Since March, our team have all found ways to keep pushing forward when business was anything but usual, sometimes it was way out of our comfort zones , but we supported each other and looked for ways to progress against our bigger goals - its not been easy, at times its felt futile and confusing with so much uncertainty but now I’m really glad we did and we will continue to do.

Parents often ask how do you cultivate grit in children? Grit can be developed through a warm and supportive home life that is also demanding with high expectations.  One example of this is where Angela Duckworth measures the impact of children who stick to their extra curricular activities and their likelihood of remaining in college - they may not be the best or most talented, but the follow through helps them to ride out the tougher times and continue to grow - building more resilience and tenacity.

Another thing to consider is giving children “struggle time” let them take a minute, maybe get frustrated by doing up a zipper, opening a packet or strapping themselves into the car.  Not only does it make your life easier when they can eventually do these things but they start to learn about overcoming challenges and not having everything done for them, and how practice eventually means success.

The same applies to managing a team - provide a warm, and supportive environment focused on learning and success but maintain high expectations because you know that that team is more than capable, and you will all grow together.  I'm so proud of our team and how they have handled the new challenges we have faced with grit and determination and know that is has solidified us for years to come.

An excellent example of true grit in action is a study of  11,000 West Point (a US military academy) cadets over 10 years which found that “grit” was the most important trait for success.

The research team, again led by Angela Duckworth, studied 11,258 cadets as they entered the academy over the period of a decade.

“Researchers — who defined “grit” as “passion and perseverance for long-term goals of personal significance” — said cadets who displayed that special quality were more successful during the challenging four-year military academy that begins with “Beast Barracks,” a notoriously brutal six-week basic training program.

Those who made it through Beast Barracks then took a 12-point test known as the “grit scale” to evaluate their capacity for perseverance.

While strength and brain power all contributed to helping the 81 percent of West Point cadets who ultimately graduated from the school, the study found that “grit” proved to be the most significant factor.”

It’s important to note that “grit” is not the one defining factor of success, and that actually people tend to value morality as the number one most important character trait.   But it is one thing that can help to build resilience and in turn success in achieving your goals.

Also grit does not mean sticking at something you hate forever, and dread doing - it's about pushing yourself to do the hard thing when that hard thing is the stepping stone to achieving what you want to achieve. 

In this crazy time there isn’t much certainty to hold on to, but grit is one thing that you can control,  decide on your goals and the steps needed to get there, get your head down, keep moving forward, know that the road ahead won’t be straight but you can for sure keep travelling down it.

Want to know more about your own grittiness? Check out how you measure on the grit scale