This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Grit" by Angela Duckworth. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Are you looking for Grit exercises? How can you determine your grit, and work on developing the characteristics necessary to have grit?
In her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth outlines what it takes to succeed. Grit can be developed over time, and these exercises can help.
Check out these helpful Grit exercises.
Grit Exercises
These grit exercises can help you first test your grit and then find ways to improve. Since so much of grit relies on purpose, there are also exercises about finding and creating purpose.
What Is Grit?
Before you do these, you first have to define grit. Do you have problems finishing things? Do new ideas distract you from previous ones? Do you get derailed by setbacks more often than you would like?
Then you could use more grit. In Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth shows how grit – the combination of passion and perseverance – distinguishes high achievers, and why talent isn’t as important as most people think. Learn the 4 major components of grit, and how to develop grit in yourself, your kids, and your teammates.
Grit Exercises: Test Your Grit
Let’s think about how much grit you have, and how to develop grit with better goals.
Was your grit score higher or lower than you expected? Where do you fit in the population distribution? Are you stronger at passion or perseverance?
To find your most important top-level goals, let’s follow Warren Buffett’s suggestion. Write a list of your top 10-15 career goals.
Now, identify only the top 5 goals – no more, no less.
Everything that’s not in your top 5 are distractions. Is this surprising to you? What should you be doing to avoid spending time on these distractions?
Grit Exercises: Build Purpose
Try to see the greater purpose of your work.
In your current work, do you feel it’s more of a job, a career, or a calling? Why? What kinds of personal rewards do you get from your work?
Think about your work. How can what you’re doing positively contribute to society?
How does your work connect to your personal values? Who are you as a person, and how does your work match your idea of yourself?
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Angela Duckworth's "Grit" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Grit summary :
- How your grit can predict your success
- The 4 components that make up grit
- Why focusing on talent means you overlook true potential
