Grit…

I’ve often written about important skills and capabilities that are vital to living up to your potential, but there is one aspect that I haven’t broached fully and that is the concept of grit and its importance.

To me, the definition of grit is where passion and perseverance collide.  It invariably is a composite of many of the things I’ve touched on over the years in terms of focus and stick-to-iv-ness, but rarely of the most important ingredients to sustain grit and that is stamina.

For the most part we’re all able to drive hard on something important to us for a short burst, however, the challenge for many of us (sometimes me included) is the ability to sustain it over a long period without faltering.

Yes, this is the Achilles heel for many of us – we’re quite accomplished sprinting but to continue doing so long-term can be tough!  I think we all understand deep down that the things you desire most always take time, and so the ability to sustain your passion and persevere for a long period of time is crucial to you attaining your goal.

Irrespective of what you’re looking to attain in life, it’s all about what you’re willing to do or the amount of concerted effort that you’re willing to put in order to achieve your goals that’s most important.

We often use words to explain how important something is to us, but sometimes these words are not supported by the actions required to bring them to life.  Talk is cheap but the true desire is where the rubber hits the road so to speak as you then back it up by your continued actions.

This is just a part of the larger blueprint for living a successful life.

For me the larger blueprint includes several key aspects.  Firstly, truly understanding what would you like your life to look like? What is your definition of success?  Often times it can be as simple as creating a loving family, or feeling at peace with yourself, or following your passions and doing something that you love.  Surprising, it’s not always about wealth and flashy possessions.

Then asking yourself are your goals and vision aligned to your values and beliefs?   If not, how do I get aligned?  I find that having a strong support network of friends and mentors can help you if you’re willing to engage with them about this topic.

Having people who inspire you and that you can go to for advice, guidance or just input into your decision-making process is important.  They enable you to see situations from various perspectives and angles, and perhaps one that you aren’t able to see.

Next is having a positive mindset…

I’ve written about the power of having a positive mindset on a number of occasions.  To me a positive mindset is comprised of being both mentally and emotionally flexible when things don’t go as planned which invariably they will from time to time.  This enables you to develop your resilience which is core to living a successful life.

It is important that you can take the lessons learned from your moments of failure and ensure that you keep moving forward.  Sometimes we need to set boundaries and say no to opportunities that don’t serve your life goals, as tempting as they may be.  It is important to protect and conserve your energies that will move you along the path to achieving your goals.

The penultimate part of the puzzle is all about grit!   Showing up every day, focused on your goals while keeping aligned to your values, beliefs is paramount.  The challenge will be not to become distracted or let negative motions impact your levels of stick-to-iv-ness to attain your vision.

It’s this level of commitment that will enable you to achieve what you’re looking for.

Finally, be kind to yourself and celebrate the small wins along the way.  This approach to “smelling the roses” will help insulate you against overwork and burn out along with rest and recuperation breaks.  Being kind to yourself and rewarding these little wins along the way is about nourishing your soul, conserving your energies and allowing yourself to keep moving forward.

Grit is what transforms potential into fulfilment.  It’s the difference between a life of unfinished intentions and a life of hard-earned meaning and achievement.

Clearly, the pivotal and most elusive thing in this equation is you!

Are you clear on the life you want to live?   Does this life currently align with your beliefs and values?  If not, what path are you going to take in order to get these aligned?   What are the hurdles you’re facing that could stop you from attaining your goals?

Who can you turn to for guidance and advice – do you have a mentor or a trusted advisor that you can bounce ideas off and get truly honest feedback?

Creating the plan with small and attainable steps is the first step, sticking to your plan, evaluating your progress, adjusting as necessary before pushing on to the next mini goals is key.

However, all of this takes grit!  The place where passion meets perseverance…

Until next week.

Ciao!