What Is Grit?
Gone
are the days where a person is judged based on their IQ, social intelligence,
good looks, physical health, or talent. Grit is a relatively new term presented as the key to success (Duckworth, 2013). Angela Lee Duckworth describes it as,
“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality” (2013, 3:02).
Individuals who are high in grit do not sway from their goals even in the absence of positive feedback or in the presence of failure or setbacks. In order to understand grit better we have to look at the research done that proves grit as the best predictor of success.
“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality” (2013, 3:02).
Individuals who are high in grit do not sway from their goals even in the absence of positive feedback or in the presence of failure or setbacks. In order to understand grit better we have to look at the research done that proves grit as the best predictor of success.
Grit In My Life
I have always been an adventurous person and as a result I tend to fail and fall down a lot. Grit is what motivates me to "get back on the horse" if you will and keep trying. This is a trait my parents have instilled in me from a very young age. Angela Lee Duckworth says that you can see a gritty kid though their multi-year commitments in extra curricular activities. Although in many cases this was not always true for me (hockey, gymnastics, sewing) I was a dancer for 10 years and a horseback rider for 20. This shows true grit. Along with this is the idea that my parents never let me quit. Angela says that we can allow our students/children to quit but not at the moment they want to. If they say they want to quit, that is fine but they have to do it next week or next month, not at a time they are failing but at a time they are succeeding.