4 Steps for Building Grit

Grit is the passion and perseverance essential for achieving long-term, meaningful goals. People who are strong in grit are always striving to improve. They are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to succeed while remaining passionate about what they do.

Not all people are naturally gritty, but the good news is it is something you can develop over time. Developing grit might be the difference between remaining the same or achieving a breakthrough in a goal you’ve had for a while. So, how can you develop grit?

1. Re-frame negative thoughts through problem analysis

At the moment we are all facing tough days which can lead to negative thoughts. It’s important to recognise and process our emotions while staying realistic and framing challenges as opportunities. Using this Problem Analysis to reframe negative thoughts helps bring logic to bare on these feelings. It can also be helpful to make a list of all the times in the past where you’ve overcome difficulties in the past as a reminder.

2. Create Hierarchical goals and Build Persistence

Aim high and dream big, while creating smaller and achievable goals that feed into these big high-level goals. Every goal you achieve gives you confidence in your ability to be successful. No matter what your definition is, you must be clear about what you want to achieve. For you, it might be:

Setting a daily exercise routine or working out at home
Planning out your work goals at the beginning of the week and delivering on them each week
Checking in with a colleague each day even

The feeling of discomfort can often lead people to look for shortcuts. But these types of short-term solutions more often create bigger long-term problems. The next time you experience discomfort, remind yourself of the bigger picture. Finish that workout even when you are tired. Balance your budget even when it gives you anxiety. Tolerating uncomfortable emotions can help you gain the confidence you need.

3. Develop your self-control and Set yourself up for success

Often, we think that grit is about how we respond to extreme situations, but everyday circumstances are just as important when developing grit. Developing grit is something that needs to be consistently worked on to develop.

By sticking to your defined goals, you can build up your grit. Self-control is a skill that you need to exercise but it’s also a resource that gets depleted. You don’t need to subject yourself to temptations every day to stay mentally strong. Modify your environment from time to time. Make life a little easier. Put your running sneakers next to the bed if you want to work out in the morning.

Grit is the dedication to a singular goal, alongside the determination to see it through. Show yourself that you have the determination and ability to push through and achieve your goals, even if it is with small goals.

4. Foster your self-belief and do at least one difficult thing each day

Improvement doesn’t come about by accident. You need to challenge yourself on purpose. Make sure to analyse your boundaries, though, since everyone has a different idea of what is challenging. Always push yourself to become a little better today than you were yesterday. Going beyond on each task will help you get there. If your goal is to plan out your week and stick to the timeframes; push yourself to deliver 2 items early, the next week bring it to 3 delivered early, and so on.

Building up daily habits is crucial for developing Grit, creating a schedule that helps you to overcome distractions and achieving your goals is key. Starting by developing small habits, you can grow your grit day by day. As you build up your daily habits to achieve your goals, you start to depend less on motivation and more on your determination and grittiness.

So, gritty people don’t have to be more talented or more intelligent — just more consistent. Grit is about doing the things you’re supposed to do on a more consistent basis. It’s about your dedication to daily practice and your ability to stick to a schedule. Developing grit requires a highly disciplined effort that starts with identifying specific areas for growth and persisting in achieving these goals.

This article first appeared on Talegent website:

https://talegent.co.nz/blog/steps-for-building-grit/

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