The Philosophy of Grit & How it Can Elevate Your Life

Grit. We usually think it’s for cowboys & soldiers, outdoor survivalists and those “come what may” Rosie the Riveter types. People with grit seem tough and brave but, at its core, what really is “grit”, this rare and psychologically rugged quality? In a new era of the highly, self-care aware we barely hear the word grit in our everyday conversations (not that there’s anything wrong with self-care of course).

Grit can certainly be defined as a show of bravery and endurance but it is a quality that’s a bit more nuanced. To have “grit” means that you possess the courage to face obstacles, the endurance to overcome them, a high tolerance for failure and setbacks and a high tolerance for general discomfort, all the while retaining a commitment to success.

Grit isn’t exclusive to any socioeconomic status, gender, or race. Grit is for anyone in any situation willing to get their hands dirty, to humble themselves enough to learn from their mistakes and to sacrifice in the present in order to achieve a greater future objective. Grit is willing to face the worst case scenario and never relinquish the end goal. Winston Churchill had grit. Golda Meir had grit. Navy Seals certainly have grit and so do the women of Iran.

Creativity, planning and the best ideals will help count the cost but grit is willing to pay the price in full. Possessing the vision, determination, humility and resilience of grit will benefit you in nearly every sphere of life, both personally and professionally. It will set you apart from the rest.

So how can we cultivate grit in our everyday life?

Define Your Destination

Whether it’s what you want out of your next relationship or what you want out of your career, determining where you want to go and what you need and want to do along the way will open the door for grit to develop.

Negative to Positive

Receiving negative feedback within a relationship or within the work environment can be pretty devastating, especially if you never saw it coming. If the criticism is truly warranted, make the “gritty” decision of overriding feelings of defensiveness and discouragement and instead see the criticism as an invitation to rise to the next level (personally or professionally).

Simple Self Denial

Self denial is a tenant of grit but sometimes saying “no” in small scenarios can help you when bigger sacrifices need to be made. You might take a raincheck on that night out with friends to develop a project at work, or go to bed an hour earlier to get to the gym before your day begins, or skip an hour of scrolling social media to learn a new language.

Stay Inspired

The company you keep will influence you, for better or for worse, it’s how human beings work. Keeping people close to you who set goals and keep commitments will not only inspire you to keep yours but they probably have a lot of good advice for you too.