Introduction
As time evolves, it is becoming clear that success in life has various contributing components. One of such is the need to have grit. It has been observed in studies among students when evaluated in their first year as to the likelihood of them completing their studies, that those who have grit were more likely to complete their studies compared to those who did not have grit. This can be extrapolated to people who start a project, a business endeavor, who are given assignments or tasks to complete.
Those who have grit are more likely to complete the task compared to those who do not have grit.
What is grit?
It is the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about. It is the staying spirit that keeps you focused on accomplishing set goals, both short and long term goals.
According to Angela Duckworth, the psychologist, who introduced us to this term, grit is “passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals”. This kind of passion has direction and commitment. It entails keeping at a task no matter how boring or difficult it is. To persevere means to stick with a task and continue working hard even after experiencing failure or difficulty.
How important is grit?
Its importance cannot be overemphasized. Studies have shown that the ability to be gritty is a necessary part of success, independent of talent or education. This is because grit drives achievement and success. When you develop grit in your work as an affiliate of Write-for-Me Academy, you will be motivated and driven towards actualizing the vision of overcoming abuse, poverty, oppression, suppression and gas lighting in the war against POSG (WAPOS-G)
As we have seen, grit has to do with the ability to stick to a task, no matter how difficult it is, in order to see it through while commitment is the decision to stick to the task. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, commitment is an agreement or a pledge to do something in the future.
Building grit
1. Develop passion for your taskTo build grit, you must develop a passion for what you are doing. Passion is that intense feeling or emotion one possesses towards an assignment or task, which gives you boundless energy and the will power to overcome no matter the obstacle faced in the course of executing that assignment or task. Passion gives you the reason to keep learning and to work towards mastery. Having passion or an intense liking for your task will help you develop grit.
2. Clarify your goalsYou need to be crystal clear about your ultimate goal and most of your smaller goals should align with that goal. Duckworth suggests Warren Buffet’s three-step process to bring your goals together: a. Write down a list of 25 career goals. b. Circle the five highest priority goals by doing a soul search. c. See how the remaining 20 goals can help support your highest five goals. If they do not support, avoid them as distracters.
3. Discover your interests
Interest is the source of passion. You are more satisfied when you are doing a task that fits your personal interest. Ask yourself these questions: What do you like to think about? What do you really care about? What matters most to you? Take time to discover your interests.
4. Practice deliberately
Spend a lot of time on your tasks. To practice deliberately means your practice is characterized by a clearly defined goal, full concentration and effort, immediate and informative feedback as well as repetition with reflection and refinement.
5. Know your purpose
Purpose is the reason behind why you do things. Whatever your passion is, ask yourself how it connects to the bigger picture, and how it is an expression of your deepest values. How will it contribute to the well-being of others? Knowing your purpose will keep you going.
6. Have a growth mindsetHenry Ford wrote, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t-you are right”. Many things we do depends on our mindset. Mindset is an established set of mental attitudes or inclination especially as regarding one’s outlook, philosophy, or values. A growth mindset is encouraged compared to a fixed mindset. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. This view, according to Dweck, creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.Learn to pay attention to your self-talk. Speak positive words to yourself. This encourages a growth mindset.
7. Join a gritty cultureThe culture we live in and identify with powerfully shapes who we are. When we want to build grit, we need to stay in the midst of those who are like minded. This creates an enabling environment for growth. Ogapatapata and the Write-for-Me Academy has created an enabling environment for growth on the affiliate platform. We need to take advantage of this and key into the vision of victory over poverty, oppression, suppression and gas lighting (WAPOS-G) through the various activities on the platform.
In conclusionThis is a call for us to overcome obstacles we are faced with in life by developing grit. Looking at the ways of building grit, which one appeals to you? Pick it and begin to implement it in your life.
As you do so, if you have questions or challenges pertaining to accomplishing your dream and purpose, well versed professionals in the Wellness and Health department Write-for-Me are available to assist.
We have programs you can take advantage of to improve your grit. This includes the Wellness health program, the mindfulness program and the Wellness Life Coach program. For more information contact us on +2348152574304.
Excerpts from Grit: the power of passion and perseverance by Angela Duckworth
