You’ve probably heard the story about the West Point cadets. It’s the one where researchers try to predict who will survive "Beast Barracks," that grueling seven-week orientation that makes grown men and women want to call their moms and quit. You’d think the strongest, fastest, or smartest would breeze through. They don't. This is exactly where the narrative of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth took root.
It wasn't SAT scores that mattered. It wasn't physical fitness. It was something else.
Duckworth calls it grit. But honestly? Most people get the definition wrong. They think it’s just "trying hard" or being a workaholic. It’s not. It’s actually much more about the long game than the immediate hustle. If you've ever started a hobby with white-hot intensity only to drop it three weeks later, you’ve experienced the opposite of grit.
The Math of Achievement (It’s Not Just Talent)
We are obsessed with talent. We love the "natural." When we see someone like Yo-Yo Ma or Steph Curry, we say they’re "gifted." Duckworth argues—quite convincingly, backed by years of data—that our bias toward talent is actually a defense mechanism. If we believe success is purely innate, then we’re off the hook. We don't have to compete because we "just don't have it."
But look at the formula she lays out. It’s simple, but it feels heavy when you actually apply it to your life.
First, you have Talent × Effort = Skill.
Then, Skill × Effort = Achievement.
Notice something? Effort appears twice. Effort builds the skill, and then effort makes the skill productive. This is the core of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. Without effort, your talent is nothing more than unmet potential. It’s a dormant seed. You might have the best "soil" in the world, but if you don't water it every single day for years, nothing grows.
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I’ve seen this in writers. Some are brilliant. They write one stunning chapter and then vanish for a decade. Others are mediocre but show up at the desk every morning at 6:00 AM. Guess who ends up with a published book?
Is Passion Just a Feeling?
People think passion is fireworks. It’s not. In the context of grit, passion isn't about intensity; it's about consistency over time.
Duckworth describes a hierarchy of goals. At the bottom, you have your "low-level" goals. These are your daily to-do lists. Send that email. Go to the gym. Buy milk. These are just means to an end. In the middle, you have larger projects. But at the very top, there should be a "compass" goal. This is your North Star.
Grit is having a top-level goal so important that it dictates everything else you do.
If your top-level goal is to "improve the lives of children through literacy," then every low-level goal should feed into that. When you have this clarity, you don't get distracted by "shiny object syndrome." You stop chasing every new trend. You stay in your lane because your lane is the only one that matters to you.
It takes time to find that. You don't just wake up with a life purpose. You usually have to "dig" for it through trial and error. You try things. You hate some. You like others. Eventually, you find the thing that clicks. That's the passion part of the grit equation.
The Four Assets of a Gritty Person
You aren't born with a set amount of grit. It’s not like your height. You can grow it. Duckworth identifies four specific pillars that "paragons of grit" tend to share.
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1. Interest
You have to actually like what you're doing. It sounds obvious, right? But so many people pursue careers because they want the paycheck or the status. Gritty people have an intrinsic fascination with their subject. They find the nuances interesting even after twenty years.
2. Practice
This isn't just "putting in the hours." This is deliberate practice, a concept pioneered by psychologist Anders Ericsson. It’s about focusing on your weaknesses. If you're a golfer, you don't just hit the balls you’re good at hitting. You spend three hours in the sand trap because that’s where you suck. It’s frustrating. It’s boring. It’s essential.
3. Purpose
This is the conviction that your work matters to others. Gritty people almost always see their work as connected to something larger than themselves. Whether you’re a janitor or a CEO, if you believe your work helps people, you're less likely to quit when things get miserable.
4. Hope
This isn't "I hope things get better" (which is passive). This is "I believe my efforts can improve my future" (which is active). It’s the "Growth Mindset" that Carol Dweck talks about. If you think your abilities are fixed, you’ll give up the moment you fail. If you think you can get better, you’ll keep swinging.
Parenting for Grit: The Hard Thing Rule
A lot of the buzz around Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth comes from parents. How do we make our kids tougher? How do we stop them from quitting the soccer team the second they have to run laps?
Duckworth suggests the "Hard Thing Rule."
In her house, everyone (including the parents) had to do a "hard thing." This thing required deliberate practice. You couldn't quit in the middle of a season or a tuition cycle. You could only quit when the "natural" break came. This teaches kids that the "frustration's peak"—the moment you want to throw the violin out the window—is actually just a part of the learning process. It’s not a signal to stop. It’s a signal that you’re growing.
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The Critics: Is Grit Overrated?
It's worth noting that grit isn't a magic bullet. Some scholars, like Marcus Crede, have argued that the effect of grit on success is sometimes overstated compared to general intelligence or conscientiousness.
There is also the "Grit Polemic." Some worry that focusing on grit ignores systemic issues. If a kid is failing in a school with no books and no heat, is it really because they lack "perseverance"? Probably not. Grit is a personal psychological trait; it doesn't fix broken systems. Duckworth herself has acknowledged this. Grit is a piece of the puzzle, not the whole box.
And let’s be real: sometimes quitting is the smartest thing you can do. If you're pursuing a goal that no longer aligns with your values, or you're in a dead-end situation, "persevering" is just stubbornness.
Moving Forward with More Grit
So, how do you actually apply this? It’s not about a "New Year, New Me" burst of energy.
Start by auditing your goals. Look at what you spent your time on last week. Does it actually lead toward a top-level goal, or are you just busy?
- Identify your interest. If you don't know what your "passion" is, look at what you spend your money and "bored" time on.
- Find a coach. Deliberate practice is almost impossible to do alone. You need someone to point out the mistakes you're too biased to see.
- Change the narrative. When you fail, stop saying "I'm not good at this." Start saying "I haven't mastered this yet."
- Find your tribe. It’s much easier to be gritty when you're surrounded by other gritty people. Culture eats strategy for breakfast. If you want to be a runner, hang out with people who run 5ks on Saturday mornings.
The reality is that Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth isn't a book about being a superhero. It’s a book about being a "plodder." It’s about the person who stays in the game long after everyone else has gone home to take a nap.
Success is rarely a sprint. It’s a long, often boring, occasionally painful marathon. But if you can find something you care about enough to stay frustrated with, you’ve already won half the battle.
To start building grit today, pick one "Hard Thing" you’ve been avoiding—whether it’s learning a language, a coding skill, or a fitness habit—and commit to not quitting for at least one full cycle, regardless of how frustrated you get in the second week. Write down your "top-level" goal on a piece of paper and tape it to your monitor. When the mid-level tasks get exhausting, look at that paper and remind yourself why the slog is worth the skill.