I highly recommend the book as a supplement to your work in developing your strengths. Rather than simply chalking it up to “natural” talent or luck, we can apply these steps to our efforts toward achievement. In GRIT, Angela has identified what naturally occurs when we witness great achievement. Rather by doing and experimenting and reflecting on the impact of your work, you may just find your calling. And purpose, just like interest, can and needs to be developed.

Being part of something bigger, greater and outside of ourselves fuels us with determination to improve and eventually succeed. Purpose is directed outward and intends to contribute to the well-being of others.

Your practice must become deliberate and you will find the formula for deliberate practice in the book. The same is true for what you decide to develop. Doing something with a drive to improve will cause the guy to vary the speed and incline on the treadmill and perhaps do some weight lifting and stretching to improve his running. Doing something repeatedly is not necessarily practice. Skip the gym for a year, come back and you will find the same guy in the same condition. He runs the same three miles, never varying speed or incline. Consider that guy on the treadmill three days a week at the gym. Practice: a continuous drive to develop and do better. This interest is necessary to keep you growing and developing and you’ll need that interest for the next component. Ask a kid or even an adult what they are interested in and you likely get an “I dunno know.” If you haven’t discovered your interest yet, keep exploring. Trying on, experimenting, taking lessons can all lead to the development of an interest. The other thing about interest is it can take time to develop. It just didn’t interest me to invest time in developing that talent. I played the sport in high school but not very well. I am tall with long arms and have some natural talent for basketball. If we don’t have strong enough interest in something we will not invest in developing it. Book Summary: Grit by Angela Duckworth A book summary of the key ideas from Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth, along with the view from the blog.

Interest: Yes, as in “follow your passion”. While talent helps, Angela identifies three other keys to achievement: The talent must be used productively to generate a benefit and that takes an investment of time, energy and resources to turn a talent into a strength. Success in any endeavor requires more than just the gift of natural talent. Grit can grow and you have the tools to do so, as outlined in Angela’s book.įor someone who focuses on helping others discover their unique talents, the early chapters of the book challenge the benefit of talent. Included in the book is a simple assessment to determine just how GRITTY you are. In GRIT she addresses the keys to human performance uncovered through decades of research and brought to life by real-world examples from her studies and her own life. This lady has studied our brains and how they function. GRIT is written by Angela Duckworth, a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and a professor with degrees in neurobiology, neuroscience and a PhD in psychology.

Grit book