FCTB009: Grit – What It Is, Why You Don’t Have It, And Why You Need It

We have talked in the past about expanding our vision and planning personal growth, both of which are at the ideation stage. But today we talk about the process towards the end result that we want for ourselves, and our lives,

For this episode, I talk about grit and discuss this in relation to a book written by Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. The book expounds with details and research on the subject of grit, what makes it up and how it is a determinant of success, even greater than talent. If you think about it, grit is the ‘x-factor’ that delineates the winners from the rest.

Grit has been described as passion plus perseverance. We know what it is. We hear about it all the time. For the most part, we understand why it’s needed – grittier people accomplish more. But why do some of us not have it?

Given that often society highlights the ideas and the end results or products – but rarely focus on the behind-the-scenes, I urge you to listen up to this episode as I tackle this very vital component that will take us from merely conceptualizing to doing and accomplishing. Learn about:

• How Angela Duckworth describes grit (1:25), and the four elements of grit (1:38; 1:57; 2:08; 2:20).
• Measuring your level of grit through a Grit Scale that Angela designed which may be used for everyone to reflect on (2:36).
• My own perspective on grit (3:17), and experiences I have personally encountered as they relate to success and achievement, and how similar events impact our grittiness (4:02, 5:08).
• What I perceive as the reasons why people don’t have grit (5:51; 18:58).
• An analogy on how people view their dreams, how chasing and accomplishing it looks like, the idea of ‘The Parking Lot’, and how society views the dreamers (9:54).
• What the path towards your dream really looks like, and the sense of accomplishment after going through this path (14:55).
• My advice to anyone who wants to chase their dreams but might have felt discouraged due to different circumstances that kept them from achieving that dream (17:40).
• The concept of ‘The Hard Thing Rule’, part of the recommendations from Angela Duckworth’s book, and the importance of daily practice, self-accountability and commitment (19:25), what’s a natural quitting point (19:40), and how major decisions must be made in a high point, never in a valley (20:44).
• The significance of having high standards for ourselves, just as high as we’ve set for everyone else around us (23:23).
• Why is it relevant to fully know oneself to realize our dreams (24:42).

Resources

Below are some of the links mentioned in today’s episode, which I highly recommend you check out:
Angela Duckworth
Grit Scale
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Three Feet from Gold
Expand Your Vision to Expand Your Life
Black Women Rise
Quanisha Smith

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Did this episode motivate you to start working towards that dream and up your grit game? Chime in your thoughts and share your grit and dreams with me, I’d love to hear them!

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