Grit
A few years ago, I read a book called “Grit” by Angela Duckworth, and the chapters were a little too repetitive for me. This past week, I got to revisit the book’s ideas when the author was a guest on one of my favorite podcasts, Dare to Lead. Duckworth defined “grit” as passion + perseverance. I loved this definition for two reasons—it negates the idea that being gritty means sticking with something to prove a point (even if we hate it) and reinforces the idea that in order to call ourselves “gritty,” we need to be in it for the long haul, whatever that “it” is for each of us. Earlier this week, I was unable to bench 125, a weight that was 5 pounds more than what I benched 3 months ago, and I was ready; my feet were planted, back arched, and wrists straight...it barely moved. When I tried again, it barely moved. Afterwards, I was ticked. Three months and I couldn’t add 5 lbs? Then I thought of Angela, and told myself to get grittier. I decided to focus on the fact tha...