What is grit?

Grit means having a long-term goal and being committed to reaching that goal, even when there are road blocks. It also means not giving up in the face of failure, and bouncing back when things don’t go as planned. Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance where, giving up simply isn’t an option.

Grit says, “I’ve got this.”

It’s unsurprising then, that research shows us grit is a key component of success in life and in business. Grit, many experts say, is far more important than talent or intelligence or being in the right place at the right time. Little can be achieved in business or life without grit.

Why is a growth mindset important?

Grit is often a matter of having the right mindset. In business, people with a fixed mindset often avoid challenges, perceiving them as a threat.

In contrast, those with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to improve. That could be an improvement on self or an improvement to product, services and systems. People that choose to stick with the uncomfortable or tricky are often, the ones that come out the other side better.

Choice is the key word here, because our mindset is 100% a choice.  You can choose to fight something that challenges you or, you can choose to rise to the occasion.  Grit is the result of choosing to grow over staying in your comfort zone.

Let’s break this down. If…

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Equals…

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then…

 Knowledge

K + N + O + L + E + D + G + E

11 + 14 + 15 + 23 + 12 + 5 + 4 + 7 + 5 = 96%

Hard work

H + A + R + D  + W + O + R + K

8 + 1 + 18 + 4 + 23 + 15 + 18 + 11 = 98%

 

Both are critical to success but, fall short of 100%. But…

Attitude

A + T + T + I + T + U + D + E

1 + 20 + 20 + 9 + 20 + 21 + 4 + 5 = 100%

Attitude, or how you approach everything in life, will ultimately determine whether you fail forward (as in, get back up and try again) or give up.  Failure alone is devastating but pair it with grit and you will have found the recipe to success.

No pain, no gain

Grit requires sacrificing your time to get your business right. Your motivation may vary wildly from day to day, but you can only make a breakthrough when you persist and persevere. This may mean stepping back from time to time, taking stock and changing your strategy.

Grit simply takes time and sometimes that means you’ll have to fail forward. Make mistakes, take risks and then, move forward.

Why failure and rejection matter

Failure and rejection are not the end of the road for a business endeavour. They may simply indicate a need to change course. Think of failure and rejection as valuable opportunities to reflect, learn and grow.

Did you know J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was famously rejected 12 times?

Steve Jobs was even fired from his own company, Apple. He later returned and turned the company around. With the benefit of hindsight, he says that getting fired was one of the best things that ever happened to him.

How can I develop grit?

Not all of us are born with grit. The good news is that it can be cultivated. Life, itself is a crash course in grit. It’s up to you whether you jump on board or sit on the side lines.

Ultimately, Grit leads to improved problem solving skills, enhanced decision making powers and a more successful business (and life) all round. Once you’ve harnessed your own grit, the sky’s the limit!