The definition of grit is "courage and resolve, or strength in character." It also means "small loose particles or sand or stone," but of course we will be talking about the first definition. The author Angela Duckworth questioned how do we measure something intangible like grit? This combination of passion and perseverance makes high achievers special. She came up with the Grit Scale, "a test that, when taken honestly measures the extent to which you approach life with grit." She even took this grit scale to West Point to test this out and the results were that grit turned out to be a reliable predictor of who made it through and who did not. The grit scale has 10 questions that include: intensity of interests, if you give up easy, and if you change interests overtime. What did she learn with these tests to measure grit? "First: grit, talent, and all other psychological traits relevant to success in life are influenced by genes and also by experience. Second: there's no single gene for grit, or indeed any other psychological trait." Our grit grows as we figure out our life philosophy.
Duckworth not only studied West Point candidates, but also contestants at the National Spelling Bee. She saw something in common with those people who had the most grit. The stages were: Interest, Practice, Purpose, and hope.
Interest is where you find your passion. But before hard work comes play. Developing your interests requires time and energy along with discipline. But at early stages this looks like play especially to beginners. You keep growing and developing your interests. Duckworth's research also states that "The grittier an individual is, the fewer career changes they're likely to make. These individuals love what they do, and embrace learning each new aspect of their interest. Practice is the daily discipline of trying to do a little better than yesterday. You must be focused and attack your weaknesses. Develop the mindset that you will do whatever it takes to improve! This brings us to habit. One study that Duckworth looked at took 161 highly achieving individuals and found that they had one thing in common: daily rituals. This allow us to focus on the specific small daily goals and habits that we can build upon to achieve our goals. Purpose makes your work matter. Your passion is important work to you and to others. The most fortunate people see their work as a "calling" as opposed to a job or career. "My work makes the world a better place." These people are also most satisfied with their lives and the most happy.
Hope is the perseverance to go on and achieve your goals. Hope defines each of these 4 stages. We learn to continue even when things are difficult. A fixed mindset leads to a pessimistic viewpoint of ability which leads to giving up on challenges. In contrast, a growth mindset leads to an optimistic viewpoint of ability and leads to seeking out challenges and becoming a stronger person.
Duckworth also talks about parenting styles and how to raise gritty kids. It comes down to this: kids do best with a parenting style that is described as "wise parenting." This is an authority based on knowledge and wisdom instead of power. These parents understand their kids need love, limits, and latitude to reach their full potential. I think another important point here is to really get to know our kids and what they love to do. Listen to what they are telling you and what excites them. What do they enjoy? Are we pushing our interests onto them?
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. It made me take a good look at myself and how much grit I have and how we raise our children. The book references a lot of research studies, which I appreciate along with stories from people who have overcome obstacles to achieve greatness. At the end, she gives a list of over 20 recommended books to read! I really love when authors do this! I now have a list of books to add to my Welz Tile book blog thanks to Angela Duckworth. Happy reading to us all!
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