Grit
grit noun \ˈgrit\
: mental toughness and courage
: firmness of character
: indomitable spirit
I absolutely love Grit. Grit is the scrappy persistence that can triumph over a whole host of limitations. Grit is badass.
It is my birthday today, so I find myself reflecting on the things I like about who I have grown into and the ways I hope to continue to evolve and improve. One thing that has always been true about me is that I am fairly tenacious - turns out this is a good thing. Grit means the fact that I have always been persistent to the point of annoyance and some may say "strong-willed" is a strength!
Exhibit A: Circa 1974
Now, I am not the only one who likes this word - a quick google search will show you it is all the rage right now, and with very good reason. It turns out that the key to success is, you guessed it, Grit.
According to Forbes, there are 5 characteristics of Grit:
- Courage
- Conscientiousness
- Endurance (follow-through-it-ive-ness - that is a made up word but you get the point)
- Resilience
- Striving for excellence (vs. perfection)
Fear not if you read the above list and don't see yourself in it. Grit is still attainable. All of the above characteristics can be cultivated if they aren't currently strengths for you. What if today, you decided to build your courage? Courage is simply about managing your fear. What would you do if you weren't afraid to fail? Give it a try, and if it doesn't go well, dust yourself off and try again....
