Why do naturally talented people frequently fail to reach their potential while other far less gifted individuals go on to achieve amazing things? The secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a passionate persistence. In other words, grit.
MacArthur Genius Award-winning psychologist Angela Duckworth shares fascinating new revelations about who succeeds in life and why. Based on her cutting-edge research, Duckworth shows how many people achieve remarkable things not just by relying on innate natural talent, but by practising what she calls grit. She then offers a Grit Formula to help anyone to become more gritty, focusing on six key factors: hope, effort, precision, passion, ritual and prioritisation. She reveals:
- Why people who test high for talent often fail to achieve their potential, and why people who do not test high for talent often "overachieve" what others expect them to do
- How grit can be learned, whatever your IQ or circumstances
- Why stubbornness is a key characteristic of gritty people
- When to be stubborn and when giving up is the grittiest thing you can do
- How gritty people found their passion, and you can find yours
- How gritty experts practise, and how you can do the same in your own life
- What the people who care about you can do to boost your grit when you need it most
- How grit is cultivated in the highest-performing sports teams, companies and schools
Leaping past clichés such as 'success is all about hard work', Grit offers a fresh and motivating way to climb to heights far beyond what natural talent would predict.
Why do naturally talented people frequently fail to reach their potential while other far less gifted individuals go on to achieve amazing things? The secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a passionate persistence. In other words, grit.
MacArthur Genius Award-winning psychologist Angela Duckworth shares fascinating new revelations about who succeeds in life and why. Based on her cutting-edge research, Duckworth shows how many people achieve remarkable things not just by relying on innate natural talent, but by practising what she calls grit. She then offers a Grit Formula to help anyone to become more gritty, focusing on six key factors: hope, effort, precision, passion, ritual and prioritisation. She reveals:
- Why people who test high for talent often fail to achieve their potential, and why people who do not test high for talent often "overachieve" what others expect them to do
- How grit can be learned, whatever your IQ or circumstances
- Why stubbornness is a key characteristic of gritty people
- When to be stubborn and when giving up is the grittiest thing you can do
- How gritty people found their passion, and you can find yours
- How gritty experts practise, and how you can do the same in your own life
- What the people who care about you can do to boost your grit when you need it most
- How grit is cultivated in the highest-performing sports teams, companies and schools
Leaping past clichés such as 'success is all about hard work', Grit offers a fresh and motivating way to climb to heights far beyond what natural talent would predict.
Reviews-
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Psychologist Angela Duckworth's winning performance is a nice blend of confidence in her scientific findings and humility about her personal and professional journey. Her accessible writing and speaking charm help her research on character reveal much about why people with the same abilities get vastly different results. With studies on diverse groups like West Point cadets, athletes, and spelling bee contestants, she shows how extra effort and long-term persistence--grit--lead to the practice habits and long-term engagement necessary to get superior results. People with grit are also more enthusiastic about the process of building parts into wholes because they love every aspect of their chosen work. Comments from researchers and peak performers in many fields give her discussion personal texture and will inspire many listeners to reconfigure their work habits and re-examine their dormant dreams. T.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
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March 21, 2016
What makes high achievers successful, MacArthur Fellow Duckworth writes, is grit—a “combination of passion and perseverance”—coupled to their raw talent. Talent is important, she acknowledges, but talent multiplied by grit is what builds skill, and skill multiplied by grit equals achievement. Duckworth believes that talent or genius is innate, but “grit grows.” In three sections, she defines grit, then shows how it can develop “from the outside in” and “from the inside out.” She mixes descriptions of her own experience with notable success stories, such as that of quarterback Steve Young, and discoveries in psychology, creating a highly readable guide to achievement. “This book has been my way of taking you out for a coffee and telling you what I know,” Duckworth concludes. She includes a self-assessment quiz, advice from Warren Buffet on identifying personal goals, and a chapter devoted to the ideal parenting style—a combination of supportive and demanding—for those who want to encourage the development of grit in their children. This is an informative and inspiring contribution to the literature of success. - Malcolm Gladwell GRIT is a persuasive and fascinating response to the cult of IQ fundamentalism. Duckworth reminds us that it is character and perseverance that set the successful apart.
- Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author Impressively fresh and original ... GRIT scrubs away preconceptions about how far our potential can take us. And it solves the riddle of how those not likely to succeed in fact do. Buy this, send copies to your friends, and tell the world that there is, in fact, hope. We can all dazzle.
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Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive
At a time when our collective notion of success has shrunk to the point of being unrecognizable, Angela Duckworth arrives to restore it. With a mix of masterful storytelling and the latest science, she shows that perseverance and passion matter at least as much as talent and intelligence. And far from simply urging us to work harder for the sake of working harder, Grit offers a truly sane perspective: that true success comes when we devote ourselves to endeavors that give us joy and purpose.
- Dan Heath, bestselling co-author of Made to Stick, Switch and Decisive This book will change your life. Fascinating, rigorous, and practical, Grit is destined to be a classic in the literature of success.
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Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and To Sell is Human
Angela Duckworth has written a contemporary classic - a clarifying and deeply-researched book in the tradition of Stephen Covey and Carol Dweck. For anyone hoping to work smarter or live better, GRIT is an essential - and perhaps life-changing - read.
