Don’t Miss Out On Training Grit
Grit.
It may be somewhat of an overused word these days (at least in the content I am consuming). But, there must be a reason I am seeing that word over and over. Right?
Passion + Perseverance
I think some of the best research on Grit comes from Angela Duckworth. She had a pretty cool ted talk on it as well.
Duckworth defines grit as the combination of passion and perseverance. There is even a grit assessment you can take if you are interested in finding out how gritty you are.
Grit is going to be vitally important in the pursuit of living better. So first, we must understand what grit is. You know, get a real definition of it. Then we can begin to understand our own grittiness, and begin to grow our grit.
Change is hard. Growth is hard. This is why grit is going to play a factor in living better! If you are relying on willpower alone, I’m afraid, you will soon find yourself on the short end. Research has shown that willpower is not enough on its own. Sure, it is a great tool to help you along the way, but it is a finite resource that will eventually run out. Thankfully, grit is there to fill in the gap. Grit helps you persevere when willpower alone falls short.
Let’s take a look at Duckworth’s grit formula: Passion + Perseverance.
Passion
Passion, at the beginning, is simply the combination of a few things you are curious or excited about (Kotler, The Art of Impossible, 2021). Then, over time, when you stick with those things you grow that passion stronger and stronger. It’s not always pleasant, but it is something you care about so you are willing to deal with the unpleasant things in order to strive after what you truly care about.
Passion and grit go hand in hand. Have you ever been given a task that you absolutely do not care about? That is an example of having to rely only on willpower. There’s no real fire in you to complete the task. Nothing really pushing you forward with great force or excitement. Passion helps us be more persistent.
Perseverance
Perseverance, from a scientific view, is the combination of 3 things. Willpower, mindset, and passion (Kotler, 2021). We have touched on willpower and passion. So, that leaves us with mindset to discuss.
When it comes to the right mindset for grit there is none better than the Growth Mindset. Carol Dweck gets a lot of the credit here for her research on growth versus a fixed mindset.
A growth mindset allows you the mental flexibility to chase after whatever you want! Whatever you are passionate about!
Recently, Simone Biles of the US Women’s Gymnastics Team, removed herself from competition in the 2020 Tokyo games. This was a fine example of a mostly forgotten part of grit. The grit to recover.
When we are working hard at living better and chasing after our goals it takes a lot of energy out of us. It happens. Even to Olympic athletes! So, you must also be gritty about recovery! Burnout is right around the corner if you are not also training up the grit to recover.
Grit to Recover
Think “Active Recovery”. Active recovery is way better than passive recovery (drinking beer and watching TV). Active recovery helps keep your brain “off” while your body mends itself (Kotler, 2021)
First, and most important, is sleep. You have to get 7-8 hours of sleep! Otherwise you will suffer a host of different ailments.
Second, physical exercise. This is a lower-straining type of exercise. Going for a walk, light yoga, sitting in the sauna. These things allow your body to mend without the mental or physical straining.
Third, total reset. When you reach a point of consistent frustration or exhaustion its time to hit the reset button. Get away for a few days. Take a long weekend. Go somewhere new. Get out of your normal routine for a short while.
Training Grit
When it comes to training grit there are many options. Kotler suggests physical exercise is the best way to train grit because sticking to an exercise program will really push you to the edge of your capabilities. But, like I said, there are many ways to train up grit. It could be sticking to a new, healthy way of eating. It could be taking a cold shower every morning. Or, going to bed at the same time every night.
Whatever it is, you’ll know you are training up grit when you feel like you have to tell your brain to “Just do it. Now”.
Over time this process will become easier and easier. As with most processes of change, it is usually better to start small. Focus on one thing. Then begin to slowly expand your grit practices.
Grit will be an important piece of your puzzle as you pursue living better! Work hard, play hard. Or, maybe better said: Work hard, Recover hard!
For more check out POD HEATH!
That’s it for now.
LIVE BETTER.
