Developing Grit

How do you stay positive when the odds are against you? Perhaps positive isn’t even the right word! How do you actually keep going and taking action when you continuously get punched in the face?

We’ve all faced this sense of frustration, false starts, and defeat. The difference between the mediocre and the most successful individuals isn’t talent, it’s grit. It’s that courage to get back up again, no matter what, and preserve.

While this all sounds great, you may be thinking, HOW do I develop grit?

Do Hard Things

Get outside of your comfort zone and stretch your goals. The simplest way to do this is to level up on your physical fitness. Few things have had as much of an impact on my overall life as fitness. During 2021 I enrolled in the 75Hard.com program and it changed my life! I dealt with family issues including suddenly losing my dad, friendship struggles and the continued pressures of the lockdown that severely impacted small businesses. All of this was on my shoulders and leveling up my fitness kept me focused and determined and it helped me build grit. You can do it too! 75Hard isn’t about physical transformation, it’s about next level discipline that will change you on a deep and visceral level. Do something that is hard - and start today!

Don’t avoid failure

Our natural inclination is to avoid failure or looking like a failure at all costs. Our brains are wired to protect us from failure, and it is successful the majority of the time, talking us out of risk and talking us into comfort. Don’t listen to it. Don’t avoid failure! What would you try today if the results didn’t matter? What would you try today if you knew you wouldn’t fail? Take an action step towards that today.

Schedule the time to persevere

This means scheduling out and blocking focused time to work on your goals. We know that goals are only goals when they’re written down. When they’re in our hearts and heads, they are simply dreams. Get them down on paper and schedule the time to persevere. This could be “thinking time” when you set aside one hour a week to strategize about your goal. This could be planning time where you’re mapping out the next steps, pros and cons etc. This focused time could be acting on one of the items that you’ve outlined to get you closer to your goal. Schedule the time or it won’t get done!

Seek out an accountability partner

Find support and accountability with a third party. A paid coach and mentor are an excellent way to have someone else hold your feet to the fire, while helping you objectively tackle challenges that may arise. They also provide shortcuts and resources to accelerate your growth so you can use their past experiences as a foundation for your plan. If you don’t have a coach, surround yourself with someone who is willing to be a support to you; someone who believes in what you’re trying to achieve and will dust you off when you get knocked down.

You and I will both get knocked down, it’s the determination to pick ourselves up and keep going that determines our success.

As always, we welcome your ideas and suggestions. What do you do to keep your grittiness and sense of determination when times are tough?