Personal Development

Got Grit? How Passion and Persistence Fuel Success

August 15, 2024

I was at a blogging conference a few years ago when I first dreamed up the idea for this blog. I was sitting at a table chatting with some of the other attendees when a woman said, “Grit, Glitter, and Glam, that’s a great name. Are you a fan of Angela Duckworth’s work?” At that point I’d never heard of her, the name was purely coincidence. “You should check out her book,” she said, “I think it’s right up your alley.” I looked her up immediately, and ordered a copy of her book Grit on Audible, so I could start listening right away. Once I dug in, I was all the more certain I had chosen the right name for my blog. It felt like a sign.

Grit by Angela Duckworth explores the concept of grit as the key to success, emphasizing passion and perseverance in achieving long-term goals. Duckworth argues that talent is not the sole predictor of success; instead, grit plays a crucial role in reaching one’s full potential. Through consistent practice, deliberate effort, a growth mindset, and a sense of purpose, individuals can develop grit, and overcome setbacks on the path to success. She highlights the importance of working hard and smart. Maintaining interest and passion in one’s goals, and seeking feedback for continuous improvement. Ultimately, Grit reveals how that particular quality is a powerful predictor of success in various fields, surpassing traditional factors like talent and intelligence.

For me, grit was something I cultivated through years of overcoming a variety of hardships, and pushing myself to put on my big-girl panties even when I wanted nothing more than to stay home and hide under the covers. Here’s some of my top tips for developing grit that you can put into practice now. Hope they help you too!

10 Tips for How to Develop Grit

1. Stop Procrastinating

Seriously, don’t wait any longer to kick this habit! I’ll never forget what I learned from self-development guru Brian Tracy in, Eat the Frog. This internationally best selling book builds upon the quote attributed to the great Mark Twain.

I always try to plan my day around this concept. Whatever I have on my to-do list that is the most challenging, annoying, or generally least appealing, I try to bang out first. Whether it is chores, a challenging workout, paying bills, or a job related task, when you eat your nastiest “frog” first it creates a kind of productive momentum. Everything else seems so much easier after that. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment right off the bat. I’ve also found that sometimes my struggle with perfectionism can lead to procrastination. That’s the main reason it took me years, after initially coming up with the idea for this blog, to actually launch it. I felt like it had to be the right time. I needed certain equipment, a good camera, tons of posts, and everything other successful bloggers had just to get started. Now I’m a big believer in progress over perfection. I decided it’d be better to just start the blog now, even if at first it was just being seen by one reader, (who is probably my mom), than to never post anything at all. There’s always room for improvement. Just take a step forward no matter how small. Sometimes messy, imperfect progress can still move us in the direction we want to go. It also builds momentum, confidence, and allows us to grow along the way.

2. Have a Plan & Create Small Action Steps

We all know the importance of setting goals, but to achieve those goals it is essential to break them down into smaller bit-size steps. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, then maybe your action plan would include steps like meal prepping and bringing your food to work, hitting the gym at least 3-4 times that week, and cutting down/out on soda and alcohol. Using a daily planner is a great tool to keep yourself on rack. Writing things down will help keep you focused on your goals, and makes it easier to prioritize your daily tasks. I also like to use apps to track. My current favorite fitness app is Lifesum (not sponsored). The app allows you to select custom meal plans, goals, track food and calories, workouts and more.

3. Be Reliable & Keep Your Word

Follow through on your commitments. Honor your scheduled plans and strive to be someone others can rely on. If you’re uncertain about your ability to fulfill a commitment, either refrain from making it or create a plan that allows for some built in flexibility. Keeping your word is not just about the commitments you make to other people, it’s about keeping the promises you make to yourself. I have found this incredibly important in building self-trust and building your confidence.

4. Say No & Set Boundaries

Just say no, and do it without over explaining, or feeling guilty about it. This can be tough at first, especially if you’re inclined to being a people-pleaser. It is not rude to say no, and you’re not required to give a detailed laundry list of why you have declined either. Be polite and professional, but don’t feel the need to provide every detail as to why you are saying no. Doing so gives the other person the opportunity to devalue your reasons, guilt trip you, or try to talk you into changing your mind. If you don’t make plans for how you will spend your time, others surely will, and your goals will get pushed further and further off into the future. It is not about being selfish. It is about working to be your best self, and when you do that you are better equipped to help others in the long run.

5. Rush Towards the Fear & Conquer

Have you ever noticed how the fear, or anticipation of something, is actually worse than the event itself? Fear is- False Expectations Appearing Real. As humans we are great at building things up in our minds to be far worse than they are. One way to combat this is to rush towards the fear. When you do this you can come from a place of power and strength, and once conquered, you will have built up self-confidence in your ability to meet future challenges.

6. Keep Your Cool

The most powerful person in the room is the one who is able to remain calm in a difficult situation. Sure, plenty of leaders may scream and throw hissy fits, but these are not the leaders who command the greatest respect, or serve as role models to others. Don’t be baited into petty arguments, yelling, or negative displays of emotion. Keep calm, and if things get too heated excuse yourself from the situation. It is important to know when to keep your mouth shut. Before you speak it’s useful to ask yourself, is what I’m saying true, is it kind, is it useful, is it going to bite me in the ass later? Sometimes it can be very tempting to say our piece to someone, but it is almost always better to take the high road. I’ve never once regretted it when I made the decision the be the bigger person, even when I had the perfect snappy-ass comeback.

7. Know Your Worth

Now, even though I’m a big advocate for taking the high road that doesn’t mean I believe anyone should tolerate mistreatment. Avoid toxic people and relationships like you would a coughing, droplet-spewing stranger during the height of the pandemic. If the toxic person is a co-worker, or someone you can’t totally ditch, keep your interactions with them to a minimum. You should aim to surround yourself with people who lift you up, support you, and love you for you. It is better to be happy alone, then miserable in someone’s company. This goes for everything from situationships with guys that don’t see your value, to hanging with mean-girl friends. If your gal pals cause more drama then joy in your life, it’s time to find a new crew to sit with.

8. Go the Extra Mile

When I made an outline of topics I wanted to cover in this post, I noticed I wrote this one down twice. This is one of the greatest of all the elements to become someone with grit. Do your job well, and then look for ways to do it a little bit better. If you deal with the public try to provide the most useful, friendly, and outstanding customer service possible. It is often that little bit of extra effort that makes a big difference in life and in work. This can make all the difference when it comes to promotions, raises, sales, and career advancements.

9. Keep Your Mind & Body Active

Read (or listen to audio books) on personal development, finances, wellness, and anything that inspires you. Turn your downtime into an opportunity to learn. I go through way more audio books than print copies because of this. I listen to them in my car, while I’m doing dishes, at the gym, and when I’m getting ready in the morning. Listening in the morning is a great way to kick off the day because it can motivate you and put you into a positive mindset.

In addition to a strong mind, work to cultivate a strong and flexible body. We only have one body, so be sure to take time to keep yours healthy and strong. Exercising regularly produces endorphins, reduces anxiety, improves sleep, promotes self confidence, gives you more energy, helps ward off certain diseases, makes you look better naked, and produces a better overall quality of life. Do you’re best to carve out some time each week to invest in you health. With so many great resources available theses days, you can even do it from the comfort of your own living room.

10. Gratitude

Whether it’s making a list of things your grateful for, or just running things through in your mind, spend time in gratitude each day. Focusing on the things you’re grateful for is a powerful way to draw more positive experiences into your life. It is also a great way to transform negative thoughts and experiences into positive ones. Say you wake up thinking, I don’t want to go to work and I hate driving in morning rush hour. Replace that with I am happy and grateful to be employed, to have money to live, a car to drive, and and opportunity to serve others. I know this may make some people roll their eyes, but this kind of thinking can literally shift your entire day. One more note on gratitude. Give people heartfelt thank yous. Tell people when you appreciate them, and take time to send thank you emails, texts, and my personal favorite-the old school hand written thank you card. These little acts of appreciation can go a long way.