Hot of the presses is Angela Duckworth’s New York Times bestseller, GRIT: The POWER of PASSION and PERSEVERANCE. This book is so well-written and a must read for young adults, parents, and all in the education field. She weaves in her own rigorous research while sharing many powerful conversations with an array of findings from renowned researchers, professors, psychologists, and coaches. It’s truly full of inspiration and hope.
To get a taste of Angela Duckworth’s focus and tireless research on “grit” click on the link below to watch her TED Talk before writing her book:
Isn’t she fabulous? Below a few of my takeaways but when you can please read the book yourself to discern your own salient, personal points.
Takeaways on how to strengthen/develop grit to help reach your potential:
- Be determined.
- Establish a goal hierarchy.
- Have one internal compass.
- Harness your stamina.
- Develop your talent and double the effort factor.
- Only positive “self-talk.” Dial down the negative.
So why is it imperative we help our children develop their grit? Through her exhaustive research, including her “Grit Scales,” Duckworth shared, “I found the grittier a person is, the more likely they’ll enjoy a healthy emotional life.” To me that is one of the keys to success as a student, if you are feeling generally good about yourself; content and confident, you are available to learn.
Takeaways on how to help our kids become grittier and promote a growth mindset as they develop:
- Develop interests outside of the classroom and stick with it for at least a year.
- Practice new skills deliberately (Duckworth interviewed Olympic medalists, famous pianists, etc. and it was all about the work effort – deliberate practice).
- Help them discover the challenge and the fun in learning or trying something new.
- Let your kids see you trying and practicing follow through – they are watching!
- It’s all about the language of challenge – her are a few of Duckworth’s examples of what to say to your child: “Great job! What’s the one thing that could have been better?” – “This is hard. Don’t feel bad if you can’t do it yet.” (I wish I had that phrase when helping with math homework!)
In her final chapter, Duckworth concludes, “You can grow your grit. I see it two ways to do so. On your own, you can grow grit “from the inside out”: You can cultivate your interests. You can develop a habit of daily challenge-exceeding skill practice. You can connect your work to a purpose beyond yourself. And you can learn to hope when all seems lost. You can also grow grit “from the outside in.” Parents, coaches, teachers, mentors, friends – developing your personal grit depends critically on other people.”
Now more than ever the importance of developing grit in both children and adults seems essential and can lead to a happier, more satisfied life.
Laine