Passion, Persistence, and Grit
“Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance for a long-term goal.”
~ Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Of all the characteristics associated with caregiving, persistence might be the most common. The tasks and responsibilities of caregiving often require the utmost persistence. For caregivers, there may be times when our loved ones don’t seem to be making progress, and it’s tempting to give up. It’s our persistence – our motivation to keep going forward – that leads to hope.
But persistence doesn’t come easily. It takes practice … slow and steady … one micro-step and one micro-goal at a time. And sometimes, we need a little push. Caregiving feels hard enough most days, and stepping outside our comfort zone can feel scary.
To be honest, I often need to be pushed to go outside my comfortable “bubble.” But pushing myself to do hard(er) things proves that I’m brave, strong and resilient, and that I have grit.
Grit is closely related to persistence. According to this blog from BetterUP, people with grit are known for their perseverance, resilience, courage, passion, and conscientiousness. Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, says, “Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance for a long-term goal.”
Inspired by that blog, here are five tools to develop grit:
Find your passion. What are some of the things that fire you up … set your soul on fire … make your heart sing? Think about your core values, the things that are most important to you. Your passion is the fuel that keeps you motivated to keep going when the going gets tough.
Practice. Grit and persistence require practice. You can develop your persistence by identifying your wants and desires. Identify WHAT you want to achieve, and then be SMART about it! The next thing you know, you’re on your way to being more persistent.
Find your purpose. Finding meaning and purpose leads to more grit. WHY do you do what you do? “A ‘life purpose’ is really nothing more (or less) than a choice or intention to live in a certain way.” – Richard Leider, Power of Purpose.
Be gentle with yourself and others. Remember, you’re a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress. Developing grit takes time and patience.
Draw on your community. Surround yourself with others who share your values, purpose, and goals. Find other gritty people who will INSPIRE you, help hold you accountable, and support you in your journey of persistence.
Caregiving is a long, winding, and often arduous journey that takes a lot of grit, passion, and persistence. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s how gritty people live their lives, according to Angela Duckworth. By making it a practice to do what you do with grit and persistence, YOU can make steady progress for the long haul.