In recent discussions of success and mastery, “GRIT” has quickly become a go-to buzzword referring to a person’s drive and persistence at mastering new skills and achieving long-term success. No matter what stage you may find yourself at in your career, having GRIT can be your greatest asset. By having a better understanding of what GRIT is and how it can help you succeed, you can begin working towards being a “grittier” person.
What is GRIT?
Specifically, the term GRIT has evolved to refer to a person’s unwavering passion to strive and succeed, even in the face of constant setbacks and challenges. People with GRIT are always looking to move forward and achieve new heights of personal and/or career development—even when it seems as though they’ve been spinning on a hamster wheel for years without much progress. GRIT is the quality that helps people who come from nothing to succeed, while a lack of this quality is exactly why some people born with silver spoons in their mouths never reach their full potential.
How Can GRIT Help You Succeed?
When a lot of people think about success, they tend to think of inherent skills and “natural-born” talent. However, in many ways, having GRIT is much more conducive to success than being talented alone. Even the most “gifted” people will fail when they’re faced with a challenge, setback, or even rejection/criticism unless they have the GRIT to persevere and power through. On the flip side, developing grittiness can help you become your best self in all areas of your life: your career, your relationships, your health, and everything in between.
So, how can you go about developing a stronger sense of GRIT? The main thing to focus on (aside from having a passion or goal you’re committed to) is the fact that rejection, failure, and frustration are healthy and necessary parts of your journey. The more you can come to accept this, the more perseverance you’ll develop and the less you’ll be fazed by setbacks.
Striving to be a grittier person can be invaluable to your career, especially as you work through skills training and other inevitable challenges. By always picking yourself back up after you fall, you’ll eventually find your balance.