Essay: Grit, the key to outstanding achievements?

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They key to a having a growth mindset: Do not be afraid to fail. The mustard seeds of failures teach valuable lessons and great successes are born from them.

And remember...

"Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." - Jesus Christ

True grit and great successes

Harvard researcher Angela Duckworth isolated two qualities that she thought might be a better predictor of outstanding achievement:

1. The tendency not to abandon tasks from mere changeability. Not seeking something because of novelty. Not “looking for a change.”

2. The tendency not to abandon tasks in the face of obstacles. Perseverance, tenacity, doggedness.

See also: Grit (personality trait)

The clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist Caren Baruch-Feldman, PhD describes grit as "the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles".[1]

Angela Lee Duckworth is an American academic, psychologist, and science author. She is also the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she focuses on studying grit and self-control. She is also the Founder and former CEO of not-for-profit organizationCharacter Lab whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development.

According to Jocelyn K. Glei's article The Future of Self-Improvement, Part I: Grit Is More Important Than Talent:

“ Intrigued by what qualities would most accurately predict outstanding achievement, Harvard researcher Angela Duckworth picked up where Walter Mischel left off. ...Duckworth found that self-control is an excellent predictor of your ability to follow through on certain types of difficult tasks — staying on your diet, studying for a test, not checking your email — but it’s not the most important factor when it comes to predicting success at “extremely high-challenge achievement.”

...Duckworth isolated two qualities that she thought might be a better predictor of outstanding achievement:

1. The tendency not to abandon tasks from mere changeability. Not seeking something because of novelty. Not “looking for a change.”

2. The tendency not to abandon tasks in the face of obstacles. Perseverance, tenacity, doggedness.[2]

”

According to the Character Lab, being gritty means

1. Finishing what you begin.

2. Staying committed to your goals.

3. Working hard even after experiencing failure or when you feel like quitting.

4. Sticking with a project or activity for more than a few weeks.[3]


How to grow grit?

1. Cultivate a growth mindset and optimism.

2. Focus on improving your performance while you are engaging in various endeavors related to your goals.

3. Stay passionate about your purpose.

4. Know when you have achieved your maximum potential in an area and are not quitting due to frustration.[4]

Desire for excellence, repetitive failing, analysis and corrective actions: A key to great success

Those who achieve great success: operate outside their comfort zone and study themselves failing; set role models; zealously seek feedback; and treat what they do as a science and are willing to experiment. Like Olympic athletes their motto is: faster, stronger, higher.
“ What separates those who accomplish outstanding feats from those who don’t? According to author and researcher Joshua Foer, it’s the dedication and willpower to doggedly push beyond the “OK Plateau.” When most of us learn a new skill, we work to get just “good enough” and then we go on autopilot.

We hit what Foer calls the “OK Plateau,” where we have gained sufficient skills for our needs; at which point, we stop pushing ourselves. But experts – those who excel beyond all others in their fields – do it differently. Foer identified four principles that he saw the experts using to remain alert and to keep learning:

1. Experts tend to operate outside their comfort zone and study themselves failing.

2. Experts will try to walk in the shoes of someone who’s more competent than them.

3. Experts crave and thrive on immediate and constant feedback.

4. Experts treat what they do like a science. They collect data, they analyze data, they create theories, and they test them.

In essence, those who excel beyond the pack are pushing themselves continually so that they are never on autopilot. As Foer posits in the last point, there are very much like scientists in a lab – constantly reflecting on the data, formulating new hypotheses, testing them, and then analyzing the outcome.[5]

”

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth - Book summaries

Videos:

Grit combined with other key factors for achievement is powerful. Is grit alone necessary for achievement?

See also: Achievement orientation and Motivation and Self-motivation and Skill and Lifelong learning and Work ethic and Grit and Commitment as a virtue and Mental toughness and Psychological resilience and Antifragility and Humility and Intellectual humility and Interpersonal skills and Social networking and Social intelligence and Social influence and Creativity and Problem solving and Creative problem solving and Innovation

Usain Bolt has a passion for running faster.

Usain Bolt beating Tyson Gay and setting a 100 meter world record at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany.

Passion "can be defined as a strong inclination or enthusiasm towards an activity, subject, or cause that we find deeply interesting, meaningful and enjoyable."[6]

"Passion is generally considered to be positively correlated with success; having a strong passion for something can significantly increase your chances of achieving success in that area, as it provides the motivation, drive, and resilience to overcome obstacles and persevere through challenges; however, it's important to note that passion alone is not enough for success, and other factors like skill, hard work, and opportunity also play a crucial role."[7]

The article Grit is the key to success, but not without one vital characteristic indicates:

“ In the initial study of grit published in 2007, the authors said it was the leading determinant of success. But research published since then, including by the original grit researchers, show that other factors play a vital role in achieving goals...

Iowa State University researchers, led by Marcus Credé, analyzed 88 independent studies representing nearly 67,000 people and found that grit is similar to conscientiousness and isn’t a good indicator of success. They also found the original data had been misinterpreted.

“Nobody wants to hear that success in life is made up of many small factors that all add up,” he said. “It’s your education, it’s how hard you work, it’s your conscientiousness and creativity — all these little pieces that add up.” He added that in terms of academic performance, “we know from other meta-analyses that variables such as adjustment, study habits and skills, test anxiety, and class attendance are far more strongly related to performance than grit.”

A 2018 paper published by Columbia Business School professors in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences also took issue with Duckworth’s original conclusions on grit because it didn’t calculate an essential component.

“Although grit is defined as the combination of perseverance and passion, its measurement has focused on perseverance and has not adequately captured passion,” the authors wrote. “In a meta-analysis of 127 studies and two field studies, we show that passion is a key component of grit.”

In one of three studies, the researchers asked employees of a technology company to gauge their levels of perseverance and passion attainment. They then matched those assessments to supervisor-rated performance ratings. The researchers found that the highest performers had high scores of both perseverance and passion.[8]

”

Passion, achievement and other factors

"Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.' - King Solomon (Proverbs 22:29)

See also: Achievement orientation and Motivation and Self-motivation and Skill and Lifelong learning and Work ethic and Grit and Commitment as a virtue and Mental toughness and Psychological resilience and Antifragility and Humility and Intellectual humility and Interpersonal skills and Social networking and Social intelligence and Social influence and Creativity and Problem solving and Creative problem solving and Innovation

"Passion is generally considered to be positively correlated with success; having a strong passion for something can significantly increase your chances of achieving success in that area, as it provides the motivation, drive, and resilience to overcome obstacles and persevere through challenges; however, it's important to note that passion alone is not enough for success, and other factors like skill, hard work, and opportunity also play a crucial role."[9]

Articles:

Journal articles:

Grit, passion and achievement

Angela Duckworth is the author of the book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

See also: Grit (personality trait)

Grit in the field of psychology is a personality and character trait based on an person's passion for a specific long-term goal, coupled with a strong motivation to achieve their objective.

The article Grit is the key to success, but not without one vital characteristic indicates:

“ In the initial study of grit published in 2007, the authors said it was the leading determinant of success. But research published since then, including by the original grit researchers, show that other factors play a vital role in achieving goals...

“Nobody wants to hear that success in life is made up of many small factors that all add up,” he said. “It’s your education, it’s how hard you work, it’s your conscientiousness and creativity — all these little pieces that add up.” He added that in terms of academic performance, “we know from other meta-analyses that variables such as adjustment, study habits and skills, test anxiety, and class attendance are far more strongly related to performance than grit.”

A 2018 paper published by Columbia Business School professors in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences also took issue with Duckworth’s original conclusions on grit because it didn’t calculate an essential component.

“Although grit is defined as the combination of perseverance and passion, its measurement has focused on perseverance and has not adequately captured passion,” the authors wrote. “In a meta-analysis of 127 studies and two field studies, we show that passion is a key component of grit.”

In one of three studies, the researchers asked employees of a technology company to gauge their levels of perseverance and passion attainment. They then matched those assessments to supervisor-rated performance ratings. The researchers found that the highest performers had high scores of both perseverance and passion.[10]

”

Achievement orientation and success

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." - The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

See also: Achievement orientation

An Achievement orientation is having a strong inclination and attitude towards the development and validation of one's ability to achieve. A person who exhibits a high achievement orientation is passionate about achieving their goals, life purpose, developing their skills and their overall success in life. Having strong motivation is a prerequisite for having an achievement orientation. It often also involves having a strong set of leadership skills rather than following others.[11]

Factors that are conducive to an achievement orientation are: a desire to meet or exceed a standard of excellence; meeting key performance indicators; self-control; welcoming the feedback of others; a strong desire to continually improve one's performance; interpersonal skills; teamwork skills; risk management skills, and understanding the context of a given situation relative to factors such as an organization's mission and goals, prioritization, and other important factors.[12][13][14]

Although achievement involves several factors, "Research consistently shows a strong positive correlation between achievement orientation and success, meaning individuals with a high achievement orientation tend to be more likely to attain their goals and experience significant success in various aspects of life, including career, academics, and personal endeavors; this is because they are driven by a strong desire to excel, set high standards for themselves, and persevere through challenges to reach their full potential."[15] However, excess focus on achievement goal orientation can lead to burnout and a more balanced approach to life can prevent this.[16][17]

Achievement orientation "in the context of success studies refers to an individual's psychological tendency to strive for accomplishment, excel in tasks, and set high standards for themselves, often driven by a desire to demonstrate competence and achieve success in various areas of life; essentially, it's the mindset of actively seeking out challenges and striving to achieve goals, rather than simply being satisfied with mediocrity."[18]

Key factors for increasing one's achievement orientation

See also: Goal setting and Performance goal and Results orientation and Comfort zone and Self-awareness and Work ethic and Self-motivation and Growth mindset and Mental toughness and Psychological resilience and Positive self-talk and Peak performance

"To increase your achievement orientation, focus on setting clear, specific, and challenging goals, actively seeking feedback, embracing challenges, developing a strong work ethic, tracking your progress, and celebrating your accomplishments, while also learning from setbacks and continuously striving for improvement.[19]

Seth Godin on failing

“ "But what if I fail?"

You will.

The answer to the what if question is, you will.

A better question might be, "after I fail, what then?"

Well, if you've chosen well, after you fail you will be one step closer to succeeding, you will be wiser and stronger and you almost certainly will be more respected by all of those that are afraid to try.[20] - Seth Godin

”

See also

Essay:

External links on grit/persistence

Importance of Grit:

Grit factors:

Relationship between Grit and self-control:

Relationship between grit, self-control and engaging in limiting behaviors:

Developing Grit:

Books related to Grit:

Resiliency

External links on overcoming fear of failure and avoiding unnecessary failures

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ What is grit, and why is it important? by Caren Baruch-Feldman, PhD
  2. ↑ The Future of Self-Improvement, Part I: Grit Is More Important Than Talent by Jocelyn K. Glei[1]
  3. ↑ Character Lab - Grit
  4. ↑ Character Lab - Grit
  5. ↑ The Future of Self-Improvement, Part II: The Dilemma of Coaching Yourself
  6. ↑ The Psychology Behind Passion, Psylogs
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ Grit is the key to success, but not without one vital characteristic
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ Grit is the key to success, but not without one vital characteristic
  11. ↑ Achievement orientation
  12. ↑ Achievement orientation
  13. ↑ Competency Title:Achievement Orientation
  14. ↑ Take Smarter Risks with Emotional Intelligence, Key Step Media
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ The Dark Side of Achievement Orientation
  17. ↑ Striving for Success but at What Cost? Subject-Specific Achievement Goal Orientation Profiles, Perceived Cost, and Academic Well-Being, Frontiers in Psychology. 2020 Sep 29;11:557445. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.557445
  18. ↑
  19. ↑ How do I increase my achievement orientation?
  20. ↑ "But what if I fail?" by Seth Godin
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