Building grit

We all want to commit to something, to achieve something that is expressed both through the action itself and over time. But often we come up against a self-built wall: we don’t have an idea, we don’t have the means, we don’t have the time, and, right now, we have low visibility. Duckworth counters all that with a very simple conviction: effort counts for twice as much as talent. And the level of effort you put into a task depends on what she describes as grit, “having the passion to accomplish a particular top-level goal and the perseverance to follow through.” 

If Duckworth’s psychology of success arguably at points lacks nuance, she still provides a compelling argument against our well-documented, though unconscious, and seemingly irrational human preference for natural talent over effort. In other words, she provides an inspiring, practical reminder that: “Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.” 

Determination, the cornerstone of commitment 

According to Duckworth, the world’s most extraordinarily high-achieving individuals all share a trait that she calls grit, or the “passion and perseverance” to strive relentlessly day in and day out, often in the face of great difficulty and failure, to achieve a goal. “In sum, no matter the domain, the highly successful had a kind of ferocious determination that played out in two ways. First, these exemplars were unusually resilient and hardworking. Second, they knew in a very, very deep way what they wanted. They not only had determination, they had direction. It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special. In a word, they had grit.” 

So what does this mean for you? Start from the idea that grit is a character trait like any other, that it can be nurtured and developed as long as you understand its four key elements: interest, practice, purpose, and hope. 

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