“Over time, grit is what separates fruitful lives from aimlessness.” – John Ortberg
What does it mean to have grit? Well, some would say it means having the ability to persevere and stick with a plan through tough times, others might call it mental toughness or tenacity, but one thing is for sure, it’s a trait shared by people who succeed in life.
Whatever your dreams, ambitions, or goals are in life, achieving them is going to take time and effort – dedicated effort. Let’s just think about that for a moment… are you someone who likes to make plans or dream about doing something, but then after a few weeks or months your enthusiasm has waned, and you put everything on the back-burner? Without grit, sticking with something becomes a challenge.
“Grit and self-control are related, but they’re not the same thing.” – Angela Duckworth
You see, grit isn’t just plugging away at mindless chores or things that really should be done, it’s sticking with something you feel passionate about achieving – no matter how long it takes. So, you could argue that having grit prevents you from drifting aimlessly through life or flitting from one idea to the next without ever seeing any of them through, but, you could also argue that unless you’re an elite athlete working hard to make the Olympic team or a high-flying entrepreneur on a mission to change the world with the next big thing, does it matter if you lack grit? Well, yes.
It’s not the size of your ambition or the loftiness of your goal that matters, it’s how passionately you want to achieve it. The more passionate you are about doing, being, or achieving something – no matter how small it may seem in the grand scale of things – the more likely you are to see it through, but sticking with it over the long-term takes grit.
“Grit is knowing who you are and where you are headed, moving determinedly forward with eyes fixed on the mark, rather than the obstacles that lie in wait.” – Christine Bisch
Committing to a long-term goal means committing to staying the course, no matter how bumpy the journey becomes. Dealing with obstacles, setbacks, and even failures means adopting a growth mindset. When you learn to accept that roadblocks are not the end of the road and that you just need to find an alternative route to get to where you want to go, you’re demonstrating the grit and determination you need to succeed.
“Grit is that extra something that separates the most successful people from the rest. It’s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.” – Travis Bradberry
Do you know who you are and where you are headed in life? And, most importantly, do you have the gritty determination it takes to get there – one step and one day at a time?
Don MacNaughton is a High Performance Coach and has worked tirelessly to help clients achieve success in the world of sport and business over the past 15 years. To find out more about the latest courses and programmes please email donald@zonedinperformance.com