Key info:
- Author: Angela Duckworth
- Genre: Self-help book
- Originally published: 3 May 2016
Grit by Angela Duckworth has become probably one of the most influential books for lifelong learners when it comes to personal development and harnessing one’s skills.
In general terms, Grit is the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles.
It’s about having direction and commitment. When you have this kind of passion, you can stay committed to a task that may be difficult or boring.
Grit is also about perseverance.
To persevere means to stick with it; to continue working hard even after experiencing difficulty or failure.
In this book, Duckworth introduces the concept of a Growth and Fixed mindsets, where she makes a case for why hard work and perseverance trumps talent any day.
Key themes in Grit
- Why grit is essential if you want to achieve big goals and become successful.
- Why without grit, talent may be nothing more than unmet potential. She argues that it’s only with effort that talent becomes a skill that leads to success.
- The importance of passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. And grit depends on hope or the expectation that tomorrow will be better. Translated in practice, the belief that luck is not that important, but the strength to pull oneself together after a failure is.
- Why adopting a growth mindset is the only way to improve one’s skills and improve with time.
Grit is a must-read for anyone looking to succeed. Angela Duckworth takes us on an eye-opening journey to discover the true qualities that lead to outstanding achievement.
