Remarkable success does not hinge on talent alone; it springs from grit—a distinctive combination of passion and persistence.

Grit means bringing unwavering passion and perseverance to the pursuit of long-term goals. Gritty individuals maintain unwavering determination and motivation over extended periods, even in the face of failure and adversity.

The Five Big Ideas

• Grit involves staying committed to the same overarching goal over a lengthy period.
• Exemplars of grit possess four key psychological strengths:
  • a) interest,
  • b) practice,
  • c) purpose,
  • d) hope.
• Gritty people practice more deliberately and experience more flow.
• For those who embody grit, the long hours of effort, the setbacks and struggles, and every sacrifice are worthwhile because, in the end, their dedication pays off for others.
• Whether straightforward or complex, the crucial decisions we face often boil down to a matter of identity above all else.

Our potential is one thing; what we choose to do with it is entirely another. As human beings, we are often only partially aware of our true capabilities. Our passions remain muted, our efforts restrained, and we engage only a small portion of our mental and physical potential. This limited engagement is further exacerbated by the “naturalness bias,” an unconscious tendency to value perceived innate talent over the effort and hard work behind success. Angela Duckworth warns of the greatest danger in fixating on talent: it blinds our eyes to the importance of everything else. By focusing exclusively on natural ability, we inadvertently diminish the significance of other essential traits, such as grit. This misplaced emphasis sends the misleading message that effort, perseverance, and dedication are less valuable than they are, neglecting the profound impact these qualities have on achieving success.

In a study focused on competitive swimmers, titled, “The Mundanity of Excellence,” Dan Chambliss, writes:

The most dazzling human achievements are, in fact, the aggregate of countless individual elements, each of which is, in a sense, ordinary.

Remarkable achievements are realized by those “people whose thinking is active in one direction, who employ everything as material, who always zealously observe their own inner life and that of others, who perceive everywhere models and incentives, who never tire of combining together the means available to them.” Talent—how fast we improve in skill—matters. However, effort factors into the calculations twice, not once. Effort builds skill. At the very same time, effort makes skill productive.

Consistency of effort over time is crucial. Far too often, we give up on our pursuits prematurely and repeatedly. What truly matters is not just the effort a gritty person invests in a single day but their ability to rise the next day—and the day after—ready to keep pushing forward. Grit is about committing to something you deeply care about and remaining steadfast in that commitment. It is not just about falling in love with a pursuit but about staying in love with it over the long haul.

Grit comprises two key components: passion and perseverance. While enthusiasm is widespread, the ability to endure is far less common.

Duckworth on passion

What I mean by passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about that same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way. You are not capricious. Each day, you wake up thinking of the questions you fell asleep thinking about. You are, in a sense, pointing in the same direction, ever eager to take even the smallest step forward than to take a step to the side, toward some other destination. At the extreme, one might call your focus obsessive. Most of your actions derive their significance from their allegiance to your ultimate concern, your life philosophy. You have your priorities in order.

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 contrast, a lack of grit can result from less coherent goal structures. When prioritizing goals, ask yourself, “To what extent do these goals serve a common purpose?” Your passion becomes more sharply focused when individual goals align in the same hierarchy and support the same overarching purpose. Do not waste energy forcing yourself to pursue something that merely serves as a stepping stone toward a more significant objective. Releasing lower-level goals is not just acceptable—it is sometimes necessary. You should abandon them if more practical alternatives can replace them. As humans, our ability to think abstractly continues to improve. Our grit deepens as we refine our life philosophy, learn to recover from rejection and setbacks, and grow adept at recognizing which lesser goals can be quickly discarded and which higher-level aspirations demand perseverance.

Duckworth on “The Maturity Principle”:

Over time, we learn life lessons we don’t forget, and we adapt in response to the growing demands of our circumstances. Eventually, new ways of thinking and acting become habitual. There comes a day when we can hardly remember our immature former selves. We’ve adapted, those adaptations have become durable, and, finally, our identity—the sort of person we see ourselves to be—has evolved. We’ve matured.

Like every facet of your psychological makeup, grit is far more adaptable than many believe. If you fall short of the grit you aim for, pause and consider why. Before you decide to quit, one of these thoughts may cross your mind.: “I’m bored.” “The effort isn’t worth it.” “This isn’t important to me.” “I can’t do this, so I might as well give up.” Those who exemplify grit do not switch compasses: for that single, pivotal goal that shapes nearly everything else they do, they rarely utter the kinds of statements mentioned above. 

True paragons of grit possess four key psychological assets:

• Interest
• Practice
• Purpose
• Hope

From start to finish, it is essential to learn how to keep going—even when challenges arise and doubts creep in. Passion for your work begins with a spark of discovery, continues with dedicated development, and evolves over a lifetime of deepening commitment. Crucially, interests do not emerge from introspection alone; our encounters with the outside world often spark them. After that initial discovery, a much longer, progressively proactive stage of interest development follows. Long-term studies of learners show that intrinsic motivation suffers when parents and teachers become too controlling. In contrast, kids who are allowed to choose their pursuits are more likely to develop what they eventually identify as a passion. 

As Angela Duckworth notes, the motivational landscape looks very different for beginners than it does for seasoned experts: At the start of an endeavor, we need encouragement and freedom to figure out what we enjoy. We need small wins. We need applause. Yes, we can handle a tincture of criticism and corrective feedback. Yes, we need to practice. But not too much and not too soon. Rush a beginner and you’ll bludgeon their budding interest. It’s very, very hard to get that back once you do.

Individuals with greater grit tend to change careers less often. For an expert, novelty is all in the subtleties. If you want to follow your passion but have not yet nurtured one, you must start at the source: discovery.

Ask yourself:

• What do I like to think about?
• Where does my mind wander?
• What do I really care about?
• What matters most to me?
• How do I enjoy spending my time? 
• What do I find absolutely unbearable?

To young graduates feeling anxious about their next steps, Duckworth advises: “Experiment! Try! You’ll certainly learn more than if you don’t!” The advice to “follow your passion” is not misguided, but understanding how passions take shape is even more valuable. The Japanese concept of kaizen refers to continually improving and avoiding the plateau that comes from stagnation. A key insight from Anders Ericsson’s work on expertise is not merely that experts invest more hours in practice but that their practice is fundamentally different: they dedicate themselves to thousands upon thousands of hours of what he calls deliberate practice.

Duckworth on how experts practice:

Identify a stretch goal. Experts begin by selecting one specific area of their performance to improve, deliberately targeting their weaknesses rather than relying on what they already do well. They purposefully seek out challenges they have not yet mastered.

Pursue it with total focus. Experts devote their full attention and energy to achieving this goal, often choosing to do so away from prying eyes.

Seek immediate feedback. Experts eagerly look for critiques of their performance—recognizing that much of it may be negative. They prioritize spotting errors so they can address them. Processing this feedback quickly and actively is just as vital as receiving it.

Repeat until mastered. Then, they go through the entire process repeatedly until they have transformed struggle into ease, shifting from conscious incompetence to unconscious competence.

Adopt a new stretch goal. Finally, experts reset and tackle a fresh challenge. Over time, each incremental refinement paves the way to dazzling mastery.

The journey of mastery is often hidden; people are quick to showcase the highlights of their achievements rather than the countless hours of effort and growth it took to get there. Angela Duckworth offers three strategies to make deliberate practice as effective as possible:  

Understand the science: Learn the principles behind deliberate practice and why it works.  

Build the habit: Incorporate practice into your routine until it becomes second nature.

Shift your perspective: Reframe how you experience practice to find value and engagement in the process.  

Deliberate practice itself relies on a few straightforward yet essential components:  

1. A well-defined stretch goal that pushes you beyond your current abilities.  

2. Full focus and effort during practice sessions.  

3. Prompt and meaningful feedback to guide improvement.  

4. Consistent repetition, reflection, and refinement to hone skills over time.  

Though these elements may appear ordinary, their true strength emerges through deliberate application and unwavering persistence.

For those exemplifying grit, the long hours of dedication, the frustrations, challenges, and sacrifices—all of it holds meaning because their hard work ultimately creates value that extends beyond themselves, benefiting others. In Duckworth’s “grit lexicon,” purpose means “the intention to contribute to the well-being of others.” Most gritty individuals view their ultimate goals as profoundly tied to a purpose greater than themselves. Consider the story of three bricklayers who asked:  “What are you doing?” The first says, “I am laying bricks.” The second says, “I am building a church.” Moreover, the third says, “I am building the house of God.” The first bricklayer sees their work as just a job. The second views it as a career. The third perceives it as a calling. While many aspire to be like the third bricklayer, we often identify more closely with the first or second. Yale management professor Amy Wrzesniewski has discovered that people can easily recognize and articulate which of the three bricklayers reflects their perspective.

Amy Wrzesniewski’s research reveals an important insight: It is not that certain occupations are inherently jobs, careers, or callings. Instead, what truly matters is how the person doing the work perceives it. They may view laying down the next brick as a task to complete, a step toward personal success, or a meaningful act that connects them to a greater purpose. Further supporting this idea, Adam Grant’s research shows that leaders and employees who balance personal and prosocial interests tend to achieve more long-term success than those driven solely by self-interest. To cultivate a sense of purpose, David Yeager suggests reflecting on how your current work positively contributes to society. Wrzesniewski recommends finding small, meaningful ways to align your work with your core values, while Bill Damon advises seeking inspiration from role models who lead purposeful lives. The optimism and resilience of gritty individuals stem not from luck but from the determination to rise again after setbacks. Optimists attribute their struggles to temporary and specific causes, while pessimists often blame permanent and pervasive factors. The key is to keep searching for ways to improve your situation—because as long as you continue searching, there is a chance you will succeed. The moment you stop, you ensure failure. Angela Duckworth’s studies show a clear link between growth mindset and grit. Across all age groups, from young children to older adults, those who believe in their ability to grow and improve are more likely to demonstrate grit, pushing through challenges with resilience and purpose.

Duckworth’s recommendation for teaching yourself hope is to take each step in the sequence above and ask, “What can I do to boost this one?” Duckworth offers three key suggestions for cultivating hope and resilience:

Update your beliefs about intelligence and talent – Embrace the idea that abilities can grow with effort and practice, shifting away from a fixed mindset.

Practice optimistic self-talk – Replace negative, self-defeating thoughts with encouraging and empowering ones to maintain motivation and focus.

Ask for a helping hand – Recognize the value of support from others, whether through guidance, encouragement, or collaboration, and don’t hesitate to seek it when needed.

These strategies strengthen your sense of hope, enabling you to face challenges with confidence and determination.

To nurture grit in your child, start by reflecting on your passion and perseverance for your life goals. Ask yourself two key questions: How much passion and perseverance do I have for my life goals? How likely is it that my parenting approach inspires my child to emulate me?  If your answers are “a great deal” and “very likely,” you are already fostering grit in your parenting. As your child grows, please encourage them to explore interests outside of school and commit to at least one activity for over a year. Research shows that kids who spend more than a year in extracurricular activities are significantly more likely to graduate college and, as adults, actively contribute to their communities. If you want to cultivate grit, seek out and join a gritty culture. Similarly, if you are a leader aiming to instil grit in your organization, focus on creating a culture that values passion and perseverance. Over time, the norms and values of our groups shape our own. What begins as “the way we do things around here” transforms into “the way I do things.”

Many of the critical decisions we make about grit stem from our identity. Our passion and perseverance often arise not from a calculated analysis of pros and cons but from a deep connection to who we believe ourselves to be. Knowing and embracing this identity becomes a powerful source of strength and resilience.