Sandpaper Grit Isn’t Enough
By Stephanie A. Mahoney, OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation
Most of the time when it comes to grit, we think of sandpaper or the feeling that we have when sitting on the beach with our skin against the sand. But grit can be a value, a mindset and a game-changing force in your business.
Grit is as much about your temperament as it is about the actions that you take when you are working towards a goal, and you recognize it immediately. Grit looks a lot like perseverance in the face of adversity. It feels like mental toughness and sounds like confidence.
Often, grit is that intangible quality that determines whether people can have success in the long term. Encountering obstacles are inevitable and those who have true grit aren’t afraid of making contact with those challenges and pushing through. However, those who don’t have that same grit quickly retreat and find themselves further away from that goal that they seek to accomplish.
Fortunately, increasing your grit is something within your reach.
Angela Duckworth wrote a New York Times bestseller, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She names grit as the combination of passion and perseverance and is one of the hallmarks of high achievers in every domain. Through her research and scientific evidence, she argues grit can grow within a person over time.
If you want to increase a grittier mindset in your work and life, you’ll need to cultivate several skills. While it doesn’t happen overnight, consistency in these traits help build up a grittier attitude and more overall success.
Skills to Develop Grit:
Develop Self Discipline – This skill set can be seen in the things that people say yes and no to in their lives. Discipline is when your behavior or actions match the goals, or words coming out of your mouth. For example, I can’t just say that I want to get healthier. I have to be disciplined to work out, saying yes to a healthy eating plan and saying no to that extra slice of cake.
Maintaining Perseverance & Determination – Experiencing challenges is just a part of life. How we adjust our attitude while going through them can be the factor that makes all the difference. People with grit make the choice to persevere when difficult situations arise. This determination comes from being laser focused on the overall goal. Regardless of hardships in one’s personal or professional life, grit helps move someone from taking a passive role in their response, to getting in the driver’s seat of their own life.
Tenacity of Work Ethic – Gritty personalities work hard. They don’t thrive in a “clock in and clock out” environment. They take ownership and responsibility for their part in a project and always pursue their goals with working to the best of their ability.
Willingness to Take Risks and Fail – Persons with grit aren’t afraid to fail. In fact, they seek it as an opportunity to learn what they don’t know. Their toughness reminds them that any constructive criticism isn’t personal or a reflection on their personal character, but rather a chance to improve and get closer to their goal.
Embrace a Growth Mindset – When you begin to focus on improvement, rather than perfection, you start to see challenges as opportunities. Instead of an abandoned lot, you see a park where families gather to enjoy the afternoon. wooden beam with a multitude of splinters, you see a perfectly smooth surface or a table, bench or chair. You see the potential of what could be, rather than what is. This deeper motivation keeps you going despite anything that could be holding you back.
Grit in a person is like the sandpaper that doesn’t get worn down as it smooths the rough edges. Successful attempts at incorporating grit into our work habits serve to make our resolve stronger, our perseverance more effective and our toughness more consistent.
How much grit do you possess? You can find out through Duckworth’s Grit Scale that she developed through her research. The quiz is free, so share with your family and co-workers to see how you compare.
