Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long time. Furthermore, this “life philosophy,” as Pete Carroll might put it, is so interesting and important that it organizes a great deal of your waking activity. In very gritty people, most mid-level and low-level goals are, in some way or another, related to that ultimate goal. In contra

In a study of nearly sixteen thousand subjects, Angela Duckworth and Yale psychologist Katherine Von Culin found a clear link between grit and what level of happiness people pursue.10 Less gritty people hunt happiness through pleasure, while grittier folks choose engagement.

This ability to persevere despite obstacles and setbacks is the quality people most admire in others, and justly so; it is probably the most important trait not only for succeeding in life, but for enjoying it as well.

The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.