The word "grit" was coined by Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist, and researcher. She defined the term as "passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals." Grit is your ability to continue with your passion relentlessly, even in the face of obstacles. In the 21st century, grit is the new hype when it comes to personal success.

The passion of grit is not infatuation or strong emotions, but commitment and a clarity of direction. Such passion is vital for staying committed to a task, no matter how boring or difficult it may be. Let's learn more about why grit is an outstanding quality and how it can help you develop your mind.

Why is grit important?

Many of us are conditioned to believe that it takes talent and intelligence to succeed. But grit is what brings you the extra mile towards success - think of it as the flavor packet in your instant noodles. Sure, being smart and talented is a big deal, but you cannot truly thrive without grit. Your ability to persevere in the face of adversity is what drives your success and achievements.

According to Duckworth, the ability to be gritty—to pursue what's important to you and be resilient in the face of failure—is a crucial component of success independent of and beyond what talent and intelligence contribute.

All the talent in an individual could just as easily remain as unmet potential, without the presence of grit. For talent to transform into a skill that leads you to success, grit is what you need.

How grit can develop your mind

Grit can imply different things to different people: some see it as mental toughness or mental strength. When it comes to using grit to develop and transform your mind, you need to define first what grit means to you. It could be going to the gym every day for a month, or learning to play the violin or catching up with one friend every weekend. Define an area in your life where you feel you could use more grit.

Once you have a clear purpose in mind, use the following tools to develop grit and improve your mind.

  • Practice. Grit has a lot to do with perseverance. For developing your perseverance, it helps to practice deliberately and regularly. Even if you fail, take feedback on what can be improved from every attempt. Dedicated practice will help make grit a habit that not only makes you more skilled at what you do but will also help develop the courage to keep going when things get tough.

  • Purpose. Your purpose is something you can be interested in for the long haul. Without purpose, practice is meaningless. A keen interest in what you do, and being able to hold that interest long-term is essential. Rather than longing for a natural calling to hit you like an epiphany, find something that encourages you to keep learning the more you practice it.

  • Hope. The world revolves on hope, and that’s what you need to remember when developing grit for mental strength. It is the quality that you need most when facing inevitable setbacks. Failure is a necessary part of life, but if you see it as an opportunity to learn, improve, and get back on your feet, it will only increase your likelihood of succeeding in future endeavors. Stay hopeful and positive, and know that it’s okay to fail as long as you keep going.

  • Time. The last, but not the least, in our grit formula is the element of time. Success is not an overnight story. It takes long years of dedicated practice, with a clear purpose in mind, and staying relentlessly hopeful in the face of failure to achieve your goals. Instead of getting frustrated, be patient, and give yourself the time needed to keep learning and stay in the game.

Rather than impressive amounts of courage or inspiration, grit is a far more grounded quality. Build daily habits that help you stick to a schedule. This will allow you to conquer both challenges and distractions consistently. Your mental strength shows through in your consistency, more than in courage, talent, or intelligence. Achieving your goals is as simple as showing up to put in the effort every single day. And that's why you need grit.