Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
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High-Level Thoughts
Fascinating book that explains grit in 3 important scopes: what it is, how to cultivate it internally, and how to grow it externally. It’s one of those books that are good for a pick me up after hardship and pushes you to continue to persevere through a busy season in life. What fascinated me most was the last section of growing grit externally. The book transitioned into more of a parenting book and is a great read for all ages.
“You never know who will go on to do good or even great things or become the next great influencer in the world–so treat everyone like they are that person.”
Summary Notes
Part I: What Grit Is and Why It Matters
Chapter 1: Showing Up
Measurements of grit taken months before the final competition predicted how well spellers would eventually perform. Put simply, grittier kids went further in competition.
Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.
Chapter 2: Distracted By Talent
In the most general sense talent is the sum of a person’s abilities–his or her intrinsic gifts, skills, knowledge, experience, intelligence, judgment, attitude, character, and drive. It also includes his or her ability to learn and grow.
But another conclusion is that the focus on talent distracts us from something that is at least as important, and that is effort. In the next chapter, I’ll argue that, as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.
Chapter 3: Effort Counts Twice
If we overemphasize talent, we underemphasize everything else
Without effort, talent becomes skill, and at the very same time, effort makes skill productive.
Chapter 4; How Gritty Are You?
He’s asking what you’re trying to get out of life
Working toward a definite goal. Not “looking for a change.” Quiet determination to stick to a course once decided upon.
Chapter 5: Grit Grows
Because one thing that makes you better at basketball is playing with kids who are just a little more skilled.
With enduring fascination and childlike curiosity, they practically shout out, “I love what I do!”
Part II: Growing Grit From the Inside Out
Chapter 6: Interest
You’ll find in life that if you’re not passionate about what it is you’re working on, you won’t be able to stick with it.
Before hard work comes play
A writer said that if you’re bored with writing, that means you’re bored with life
For the beginner, novelty is anything that hasn’t been encountered before. For the expert, novelty is nuance.
Chapter 7: Practice
At every practice, I would try to beat myself
Deliberate practice predicted advancing to further rounds in final competition far better than any other kind of preparation.
Chapter 8: Purpose
But most people first become attracted to things they enjoy and only later appreciate how these personal interests might also benefit others
In my “grit lexicon,” therefore purpose means “the intention to contribute to the well-being of others
You never know who will go on to do good or even great things or become the next great influencer in the world–so treat everyone like they are that person.
‘Why do you care about poor kids? They’re not family! You don’t even know them’ I now realize why. All my life, I’d seen what one person–my mother–could do to help many others. I’d witnessed the power of purpose.
Chapter 9: Hope
When you stop searching, assume they can’t be found, you guarantee they won’t.
Some of us believe, deep down that people really can change.
I really do think people develop theories about themselves and the world, and it determines what they do.
In contrast, adolescent rats who experienced stress they could control grew up to be more adventurous and, most astounding, appeared to be inoculated against learned helplessness in adulthood.
Growth mindset → optimistic talk → perseverance over adversity
I don’t like that item that says, “Setbacks don’t discourage me.’ That makes no sense. I mean who doesn’t get discouraged by setbacks? I certainly do. I think it should say, ‘Setbacks don’t discourage me for long. I get back on my feet.’”
But there was always someone who, in one way or another, told me to keep going. I think everyone needs somebody like that. Don’t you?
Part III: Growing Grit From the Outside In
Chapter 10: Parenting For Grit
Passion and perseverance you have for your own life goals.
I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them
If you work harder, if you keep pushing yourself, you can get to that level. You have nothing to lose by trying.
…to benefit society at large, while serving as an example of success that will shape the future of our society.
Chapter 11: The Playing Fields of Grit
Two years or more earned a grit point
You can quit. But you can’t quit until the season is over, the tuition payment is up
Chapter 12: A Culture of Grit
At its core, a culture is defined by the shared norms and values of a group of people
If you want to be grittier, find a gritty culture and join it. If you’re a leader, and you want the people in your organization to be grittier, create a gritty culture.
Grit is who you are.
Failures are going to happen, and how you deal with them may be the most important thing in whether you succeed. You need fierce resolve. You need to take responsibility. You call it grit. I call it fortitude.
First: “Would I let them run the business without me?” Second: “Would I let my kids work for them?”
Don’t sustain a culture when they diverge from actions.
“Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”
“Quite literally, it means strive together. It doesn’t have anything in its origins about another person losing.”
Chapter 13: Conclusion
They recognize that complacency has its charms, but none worth trading for the fulfillment of realizing their potential.
Soul mate isn’t a preexisting condition. It’s an earned title. They’re made over time.
Do something that requires deliberate practice, don’t quit in the middle of the season or the semester, and pick the hard thing yourself.
