Have a Gritty New Year!

27 Dec Have a Gritty New Year!

For the past three years my kids have been scaling walls as part of “Orange Crush” – inSPIRE Rock’s youth climbing team. We’ve witnessed some kids progress from beginners to very advanced climbers. Yet not all succeed. Why is this? To be selected for the team, these kids have to have some measure of talent. They all learn, train, work out, and practice together. Why do some end up taking it to the next level and others don’t?

According to Angela Lee Duckworth, the answer is grit. In her Ted Talk entitled Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Duckworth describes her wide-ranging research on success. The results led Duckworth to identify grit as a “significant predictor of success.”

Duckworth defines grit as the ability to passionately persevere toward a long-term goal.  As we embark on our own New Year’s resolutions, our grit just might be the determining factor in the achievement of those goals. Keep the following in mind as you enter 2018:

• Choose a goal that you care about. If you are passionate about it, that passion can act as a safeguard when the going gets tough and you want to give up. (TED, 2013)
• Expect tough times. Realize that you’re probably on the right path when things get tough or frustrating. Don’t avoid the struggle; engage your self-control instead! Tackling an obstacle leads to growth and innovation. (Del Giudice, 2014)
• Understand that failure is not permanent. Have a growth mindset – believe that your brain can learn new skills. Don’t let a failure hold you back. It may take effort, but you can learn the new skills needed to push past a failure. (TED, 2013)

It’s also important to have others walk alongside you as you journey toward your goals. If you’re looking for some support, feel free to post a goal or resolution that you’re working towards. Best wishes as you tackle 2018! May you challenge yourself in new ways and discover new things about yourself.