Gritty isn't just the Flyers' Mascot!

Gritty... the # 1 Predictor of Success!

No, no. It’s much deeper and more important to your success than that.

And grit has major ramifications for whether you’ll reach that big, hairy, audacious goal you’ve been thinking about in the quiet corners of your mind.

Being gritty is the top # 1 predictor of success.

Not talent.  Not education.  Not even relationships.

The top predictor of your success is grit.

And for clarity’s sake, where resilience is more about your ability to bounce back, grit is more about your ability to hang in there when things get tough.  

Both are important, but different.

According to Dr. Angela Duckworth, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, grit is the quality that separates high achievers from the rest of the pack.

Dr. Duckworth defines grit simply as “passion and perseverance for long-term goals.”

What’s fascinating is that even she, as an expert who researches grit, admits there isn’t a clear set of building blocks the research supports for how to elevate it.

Yes, passion and perseverance… but what do those actually mean in practice?

She does point to a growth mindset as likely the biggest piece of grit.  But here are four more qualities you’ll want to focus on to build your grit:

1. How do you reframe challenges? Do you get distracted easily?  Do you see challenges as nuisances?  Or do you say to yourself something like, “Okay, this is the reality. It’s not awesome, but it’ll make me stronger - and I’m ready to get to work on it”?  (In your own words, of course.)

2. How is the project or task aligned with what’s truly important to you: your purpose, values, and top priorities? How committed to this project are you, really?  Have you asked yourself those questions before saying yes?

3. Hope and optimism. Would your friends describe you as an optimist?  If not, grit may not come easily… and you might find it tough to see your hardest challenges through to completion.

4. Your sense of belonging. Yes, this relates to the quality of people around you, but it goes deeper.  How comfortable are you being your authentic self around others?  How genuinely accepted do you feel for simply being you?

These are deeply personal questions… but vital ones if you’re serious about improving your performance, results, and accomplishments.  …given that you’ve read this far, you are.

So here’s where to go next with this:

Pick one of the four traits above …the one that pulls at you and resonates most. Not the one you feel obligated to improve like it’s a term project at school.

Briefly brainstorm three different actions you could take to boost that trait.

For example, if you chose alignment with purpose and values, you’d first need to define your purpose succinctly (if you don’t know it already).  Then clarify your top three personal values; and have a clear top three priorities for the month, quarter, or year. Run each new task or opportunity through those filters and remind yourself to say yes only to what’s aligned with them.

Saying no to the extra “tasks and asks” that aren’t high on your important list is one of the most powerful ways to create more energy … and more grit.

Grit isn’t built in comfort; it’s built in commitment.

So when the next challenge or chosen project arrives, anchor it to what matters most, and stay in the fight longer than most would dare.  That’s what will separate you even more!

"The credit belongs to the [one] who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat; who strives valiantly; who errs and may fall again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming."   - Theodore Roosevelt