The Gritty Truth: What Is the Key to Success?

When I think about the word "Grit", I think about the movie True Grit. Have you seen it?

After a young girl's father is killed, she seeks out the help of Rooster Cogburn to find her father's killer and avenge his death. When she approaches Rooster, she says, "They tell me you're a man with true grit."

So, I associate grit with someone who is rugged, rough around the edges, which might be somewhat accurate.
You may be wondering, "What does grit have to do with success?"

I really didn't see any connection before seeing this video at a recent convention.

Check it out!

Grit: The power of passion and perseverance | TedTalks - Angela Lee Duckworth

You see in this video that Angela Duckworth conducted a lot of study and research on what key personality trait determines success in various aspects of life in kids. She found that there was ONE attribute across the board that children possess that propels students into levels of success and contentment.

She can only describe it as "GRIT".

She defines grit as "passion and perseverance for long-term goals".

Your child's level of passion and perseverance will determine how successful and fulfilled they will be in their adult lives.

I find this study to be absolutely fascinating! So many times, we try to push our kids in academics and sports to make them prepared, tough, smart, strong, successful, and so many other things, but I think we fail to understand the real trait that encompasses every part of life. That special something – that ingredient X that Duckworth found – is hard to put a finger on.

I took the Grit Scale Assessment and most of the questions assessed the level of determination one has when projects, new tasks, or life gets tough.

Do you give up easily?

Are you stubborn enough to push through and see something to the end?

In our society of instant results and gratification, this element of perseverance could be harder to come by.

It's important for us as parents to recognize opportunities to build and develop grit in our kids.