What is Grit? "Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals" Grit is also sometimes referred to as mental toughness.
A researcher by the name of Angela Duckworth suggests that grit is a strong predictor of success and ability to reach one's goals. Her research has shown students who had higher levels of grit also had higher grade averages than their peers even though they had lower SAT scores and weren’t as “smart.” When comparing two people who are the same age but have different levels of education, grit (and not intelligence) more accurately predicts which one will be better educated.
I think we can all agree that grit or mental toughness is a trait that is required to be successful long term with most things.
But how do we develop Grit and how can we apply it to fitness.
Our first step is to define what mental toughness (Grit) means to us:
- Is it never missing a workout?
- Is it not having cheat meals?
- Is it going alcohol free?
We need to clearly define what mental toughness means to us.
Prove it to yourself. Mental toughness is a bit like a muscle you can develop it over time. Maybe its the extra rep at the gym or saying no to cake at work. The more you flex it the more it grows.
Build strong habits. Mentally tough people don't need to be smarter or talented. Just more consistent. Grit is about doing the things you know you need to do consistently regardless of how you feel about them.
To read more on Grit check out Angela Duckworth's book.
