There once was a theory that students who are nurtured, tutored and coached in every aspect of their education are destined to succeed. It made sense. After all, it looked like kids with the most support and access to the best resources tended to do better in school than kids with the opposite experience. But a study shows there's something that the most successful students from all backgrounds have that students who drop out don't. It's a combination of a sort of drive, determination and self-confidence that's difficult to measure. It's called grit.
It's not a cute or sexy word. It's not anything you can study for or purchase. It's a little word that delivers big things.
So why do some people have lots of it and some people lack it completely? Why do some people know from childhood that they're going to be successful and others settle for whatever life hands them? How do you know whether you have grit or not?
Here are 5 characteristics of someone who will succeed in any situation:
You don't depend solely on your talents.
What would happen if you could no longer do what you've depended on to become a success? If your answer is you'd become successful at something else, you probably have grit.
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You believe in yourself and your goals.
Politicians, athletes, attorneys, doctors all suffer big losses at times but the ones with grit don't let that keep them from doing what they do. They thrive in spite of the possibility of failing.
You're creative.
It doesn't necessarily mean you can decorate your patio to like an outdoor oasis. But it does mean that will keep coming up with ways to recreate your yourself.
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You care.
A person with grit performs as well as she can whether her supervisor, manager, coach or editor is watching her or not. You will want to do your best because your best represents more than the project you deliver. Your best represents your work ethic and what you're capable of doing time after time, after time.
You're not going to quit.
Whether it's a race, a quilt, a thesis, or a diet, people with grit finish the course.
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Even though most people who have grit were born with it, there are some things that can help you develop some of the traits that you may lack. By pursuing your passion, making an honoring commitments, and surrounding yourself with mentors and people who support your dreams you can build the kind of self-confidence that will keep you pushing forward in spite of how tough things get.
What do you want and how hard are you willing to work to achieve it? When you are determined to follow your dreams, set goals and hold yourself accountable to someone else you're on your way to success.