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So you’ve got some grit, right? Last week, we talked about grit – what it is and why it matters. We even took the Grit Scale to learn how much grit each of us has. This week, we’re kicking it up a notch by looking at how you can increase grit. Guided by Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, let’s look at the four steps you can do to make your dreams a reality.
Step 1: Discover, Develop & Deepen Your Interest
Research shows people are enormously more satisfied with their jobs when they do something that fits their personal interest. People also perform better when they do what interests them.
“Before hard work comes play and really exploring your interests,” say Angela. As adults, we often forget about the power of play, but it’s vital to learning who we are and what we love to do. That love or passion for certain interests is the foundation of grit and success.
Did you know I worked on a food truck one summer? I had an idea that my sister (a chef) and I (a businesswoman) could open a food truck of our own, and decided to try it out working on someone else’s truck. Thank goodness I did! I learned how hard it was working in the tiny, cramped kitchen, and that it wasn’t the right opportunity for me. If I had never tried, I would never have known.
Can you think of something you’d like to try? Right now, write that down – find a way to schedule it into your week. If you’re unsure where to find that activity or event, check a website like Meetup.
Step 2: Acquire the Habit of Discipline
Once you find out what you’re most passionate about, it’s time to bring in the other half of grit: perseverance.
In Grit, Angela asked an expert about why she wasn’t improving her running pace despite regular practice. The expert replied: “You’re not improving because you’re not doing deliberate practice.”
Practice doesn’t make perfect – perfect practice makes perfect. As you master certain skills or knowledge, you’ll improve over time, but only if you’re focusing and practicing in a deliberate way.
Acquiring a habit of discipline means you need to get in the habit of practicing the right things regarding your passion. Set a goal, identify benchmarks, and work consistently to hit each benchmark. If you need to, write down a timeline of each benchmark and goal on the way to success.
Step 3: Cultivate A Sense of Purpose & Meaning
After you’ve identified your passion and demonstrate perseverance toward your goals, it’s time to connect all of this to a purpose.
“Purpose is the intention to contribute to the well-being of others,” says Angela. Without purpose, our success exists in a vacuum, and isn’t very satisfying. When we find a way to tie our success to the well-being of others, we can be satisfied knowing that what we do has meaning – for ourselves, and for those we connect with.
Step 4: Maintain Hope
Along every step of this process, it’s important to maintain a sense of hope. This is the kind of hope that you feel when you know you can change your future, and have control of your own destiny. Throughout exploring your passions, practicing discipline, and finding meaning, you must work to maintain hope that you’re living the life of your dreams.
I care a lot about passion, perseverance, and purpose. I want you to have a meaningful life, and I firmly believe that each of us has the power – and deserves – to have a wonderful, satisfying, meaningful career and life.