①With those born with natural talents, it feels as if they excel without really trying. But what about those of us who don’t have a natural talent? We’ve been told all our lives that if you work hard, you too can succeed. But with the release of Angela Duckworth’s Grit, we are given a new key to success.
②“As much as talent counts, effort counts twice,” says Duckworth in Grit. She introduces a new concept that talent may be overmated, and if you want real success, what you need is grit, the perfect combination of passion and persistence, Even if you have natural talent, it’s nothing without grit.
③Duckworth says grit is the difference between success and failure. A person who has grit is more likely to succeed than a person who does not. When we think about attaining success—whether it’s landing that job or learning that new skill—our thoughts are immediately burdened by all the things we must first learn. If you want that new job, you have to learn the job skills, then the interview skills, then the dress part—and you must be perfect at all of them. Grit is different because it tells us that perfection isn’t the goal.
④Grit lifts the unreasonable expectations off our shoulders. Grit tells us that the door is open wider than we first thought possible. Grit allows us to redefine our goals. Think about it: what’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but gave up because you “don’t have the skills for it”? What’s something you love but aren’t good at?
⑤The real workings of grit are to have sustainable passion and continue to try. Effort means more than your natural ability. Even if you haven’t mastered a skill, grit tells you that you can still succeed if you can transform your passion into action. In a way, Duckworth is giving new hope to people who have shut the doors on their dreams. She is saying it is possible that you can accomplish anything. If at first you fail, then try one more time with grit.
