Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
This book falls into two different categories because of the content that it presents. It is a self-help book as well as a guide for those who are in the business market. This book tells different stories which assists the reader in seeing the results of grit and the power of this particular habit.
The book discusses how the people should not depend on their intelligence as the basis for their success. It is true that a natural talent at something could take a person far in that field, but with passion and perseverance, the person can go even farther than that. Duckworth goes on to explain that without grit, even the most talented people are unable to complete their job. They need to keep going in order to be the best at what they do. She takes the examples of many different authors and uses their point of views to explain the concepts.
There are four characteristics of the Grit model, which one must possess to make it in the field that they want.
- Interest: This is the single most important thing which can assist one in being gritty. This is because without interest one could never be truly passionate about a subject.
- Practice: One must practice the work that has been given to them so that they can achieve mastery of that skill.
- Purpose: This is important because, without purpose, one can lose the sight of their goals and get lost along the way.
- Hope: This is significant because, without hope, people find it easier to give up. Those who are hopeful, even when the times are tough can endure all the problems and make it through the storms they are facing.
The story about hope has been explained through the words of Pete Carroll, and how hope is real. Those who give up on hope, simply give up on life and that is not the mindset of those who are full of grit. Being gritty is not in the control of ordinary people, and that is why one must understand the emotional aspects of this phenomenon as well. She explains that grit is physical as well as mental, which is why the people must learn to focus on both the aspects. She does a great job by explaining through the example of SAT exams and those who have been successful in these tests. Through her formula, these test results, as well as those of other official tests, could be predicted easily. Those who put through effort into the preparation would merely achieve better results, even if the time they spent on the work has been shorter.
Lastly, the book talks about how people who are grittier have the passion for mastering the skills that they are working on. These people practice again and again, and that is their decision to do so. Many people, when reaching a goal would sit back and relax, which could assist them in developing the habit of relaxing. While on the other hand, those people who have grit practice their aims again and again even after they have achieved it. This is because they enjoy doing that work and get satisfied with what they are doing. That is why they become so successful and the masters of what they are doing.
THE BIG THREE – KEY POINTS
Key point #1: Grit is not just about the act of perseverance. It takes a lot more than that to become successful in life.
Key point #2: Passion is one of the leading points, those who have it, will persist longer than others. It is the internal motivator of all.
Key point #3: Without purpose, passion would not take one anywhere! It is the external motivator and urges the person to complete their goals.
One Last Thing
“Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.”
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