This week there has been one theme that kept resonating in my mind! Like many of us, I have been admiring everyone’s ability to push through, adapt, and be creative in the face of COVID19.
Then my family and I watched Bethany Hamilton’s documentary “Unstoppable”, where despite having only one arm, she manages to compete with the world’s best, and brilliantly surf some of the toughest waves in the world. If you have not seen the documentary, my family and I highly recommend it ( click the picture below if you're interested) .
On top of this I finished reading Jelena Dokic biography, where despite severe physical and psychological abuse, discrimination, mental health battles, and injury, she still managed to be competitive in women’s tennis. Both Bethany and Jelena continue to inspire and smash new goals today.
Although these things are all unrelated, for me, they were all related by one word…. GRIT! Researcher Angela Duckworth, has found GRIT to be the most important ingredient in achievement and success, and more important than talent and intelligence.
GRIT
GRIT has been defined as having PASSION and PERSEVERANCE for your goals and for your future when faced with obstacles and adversity.
GRIT = PASSION + PERSEVERANCE
PASSION
Despite the current obstacle of COVID19, and the adversity many are experiencing, it is important to keep focused on your future, and the goals you really want.
PERSEVERANCE
Perseverance requires consistency (as opposed to intensity), regularity, maintainable behaviours…. and a GROWTH MINDSET.
Spend time refining the little skills you’d like to improve that would help assist in attaining your larger future goal.
Start something that will help you toward your future goal. Commit to learning a new skill that you will need, or you have been wanting to develop.
Read about the journey of others who would be inspirational toward your goal, and learn from their mistakes and successes.
No matter what your challenges, push through when the going gets tough, be consistent in your effort, and don’t stop trying. Effort will be required, and it needs to feel non-negotiable in your mind.
Practice optimism, and focus positives and progress towards your goal.
Be open and embrace possibility, thinking creatively, adapting to necessary change, and learning from constructive feedback.
Globally at present, there are so many obstacles and much adversity, but I encourage you to continue to reflect on your future post COVID19…. A future built on GRIT!
“Without effort, your talent is nothing more than your unmet potential. Without effort, your skill is nothing more than what you could have done but didn’t.
With effort, talent becomes skill and, at the very same time, effort makes skill productive.”
Angela Duckworth