Grit and Growth Mindset
"Got grit?" has apparently become one of the latest buzz phrases in education.
Don't laugh yet ... there is something very important in this phrase for all of us.
What is Grit?
Grit, as defined by experts, means persistence, resilience and determination. Those are things that we need to succeed in this business, right?
Much of this started with a book by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck. Her book was titled Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. It discusses how we can learn to fulfill our potential.
Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor at University of Pennsylvania then coined the term "grit" to go with this mindset.
How Does This Apply?
A great deal of research is being poured into "grit", especially in education, trying to figure out why some students do better than others even when their IQ is not as high. Duckworth is quoted as saying, "This quality of being able to sustain your passions, and also work very hard at them, over really disappointingly long periods of time, that's grit."
In her book, Dweck explains that it isn't necessarily our abilities and talent that make us successful. A lot depends on how we approach our goals. Do we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset?
Am I Guilty?
I'll admit that, at times, I fall into a fixed mindset and limit myself. We cannot afford to do this if we want to succeed in this business.
If you are interested in this topic, buy the book. You might also be interested in watching Duckworth's 6-minute TED talk on YouTube. It's worth the time.
Recent Comments
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Lol...things have changed recently for Red Sox fans; yet for a LONG time they had to have grit to keep rooting for a team that seemed to never to be able to win a World Series title. So, to study grit we need to find Chicago Cubs fans.....ouch! Interesting post. I think the modern educational system is partly to blame for this problem with the over emphasis on esteem instead of achievement.
That's an interesting point. Of course, we see it not only in education but with all the sports where everyone gets a trophy, etc. Sometimes the hard part of sports is learning how to lose (so I'm a Detroit Lions fan, too).
Likewise, the hard part of working is that we do our best and often are not rewarded very well or don't hear thank you very much. Or in this business we need to keep working at it in spite of not making money for a while, the timeframe being different for everyone.
Thanks for the thought.
I thought grit was something to put in the bottom of a budgie cage! Seriously though, I'm currently working through a programme which covers self limiting beliefs and it's amazing what comes up, especially around money. Good post. :)
I admit Allyn i an guilty of some of these draw backs my self, My worst one is I can't afford that, but it is a sad case when we try to start a business especially on a shoestring, any thing that costs' is a matter of affordability rather than looking at what benefit it gives us ie,
Will i go to premium membership or stay as a starter, is the first question of affordability here on WA.
Some times it depends on our personal circumstances, other times it can be a question of,
Wether we trust the organisation or not, so many of these sites are just scams.
Great post Allyn Thanks for the interaction.
Thanks for this enlightment Allyn.
I believe we are all given equal opportunities. It is our devotion towards a subject that determines the difference.
There's a vast of knowledge out there. It is for us to search and explore.
Have a great day !
Norleila
That was just the video I needed for my daughter (17), she is in her graduation year, have to come up with an new study, and has not got a clou in what direction she will go. I want her to think, before she writes herself in at a new education course. That it is going to be difficult to go through an education without any motivation, and where the stuff she is going to learn will bring her. Thanks Allyn
Hi Allyn! -
How are you my friend?
What a very worthwhile six minutes that was!
Thank you for guiding me to it! :)
I firmly believe that the mindset can be trained to accomplish what the mind can perceive. I love Napoleon Hill's, "Think and Grow Rich" and "the Laws of Success". They have both been very influential in my life.
It's about what do you really want and how committed are you to getting it.
Probably everyone in this business (and many others) believe it can be built. The interesting thing is that those smart people who are testing for this say they haven't determined yet whether it can be trained into children and younger people. They wonder why some have it and others don't. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
A new spin on an old adage! That is exactly what was meant in the movie title "True Grit". I always enjoy when truths such as these are "rediscovered". :) Blessings, Christa
Yes, that word grit has been around a long time and has meant essentially the same thing. They are just finding new ways to explore it and test it. So far, they don't know how to "build" it - if that is even possible.
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Great post, Allyn! I keep remembering the John Wayne movie "True Grit," and that's what it was about. As a former teacher, my theory on why some students do well and some don't despite actual intelligence is attitude, which could be defined as grit. I had students who struggled with everything, but got good grades. I had one young man who was a severe epileptic and had actual brain damage. He had to work almost 24/7 just to make Cs, but he never gave up. They said he wouldn't graduate high school. He did. These kids were determined to succeed no matter what. Then you have the ones who are so smart they could change the world. . . but who are just lazy and don't give a damn. Those are the ones I wanted to smack. Blessed with a great brain and they didn't feel like using it. UGH
Yep, right on Carla!