This week’s topic about stress management is introducing you to the concept of grit. Grit is a mental trait that isn’t tied to your intelligence or genetics. Instead, Grit is one of your soft skills. A “soft skill” is a non-cognitive trait, like motivation or integrity, which is more associated with your personality or attitude.
Grit is a psychological concept that has been defined and studied by Angela Duckworth. I will introduce you to the topic in the same way she does in her book, Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. As a graduate student, she was given a problem to solve. How do you determine which West Point Cadets will successfully finish Bootcamp at the start of their West Point education? Acceptance into West Point is one of the hardest things a high school graduate can hope to achieve. Individuals accepted into West Point are among the smartest and most athletic students in the nation. Yet these same attributes of intelligence and athleticism that got them accepted do not predict if they will survive the Bootcamp that every first-year class completes before starting college there.
Angela Duckworth figured out that, in part with the help of her Grit Scale (take the test yourself here), it was those individuals who had the most determination and passion for being a US Army Officer who were the ones who were most likely to perseverance through the rigors of Bootcamp.
This is where we will stop for now. Check back in on Friday when the podcast drops to hear us discuss the concept of grit. Maybe you can find areas in your life where you can be more gritty or how this can encourage you to stick to your challenging experiences.
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