True Grit
Grit, in psychology, is a positive personality trait. It is a non-cognitive trait, which simply means having perseverance and passion for long-term goals despite having to face a lot of obstacles.
Grit tells you to keep going even if everyone else has given up. This trait also measures your emotional intelligence and well-being.
People who are gritty stick to their dreams despite going through numerous failures.
Read and Learn More Prayers of Perseverance
How to Persevere More
So, how do you develop true grit and become more persevering? This chapter provides you with techniques on how to persevere.
Certain actions can help you face challenges and achieve your goals while allowing you to enjoy the journey.
When you persevere, you do not just get by, but you learn to enjoy and appreciate the journey. The first thing is to eliminate your self-doubt.
You need to begin trusting yourself and your abilities.
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius
Strengthen Your Resolve
Here Is What You Can Do:
1. Know What You Want. Have your goals all straightened out. Your goals must be clear and specific. Otherwise, you may lose sight of the end.
When you have a specific goal in mind, it is easier to plot a course of action to achieve it. Create a timeline, but do not let yourself obsess over the schedule.
Expect obstacles to run you off course and that is okay. These are just roadblocks, so overcome them and get back on track.
2. Do Not Second-Guess Yourself. As mentioned earlier, the first challenge you have to face is self-confidence.
No matter how much you desire to keep moving forward, when you do not believe in your own abilities, you cannot make progress.
You have been told to go for the impossible, but in order to do so, you have to remove all forms of self-doubt.
Remove self-doubt by avoiding comparison. If you look at other people’s achievements and find them superior to yours, you may lose confidence in your abilities.
You have to keep believing you have the abilities and the intelligence to succeed, and that you deserve it, just like everyone else.
3. Keep Your Cool. Do not sweat the small stuff or allow yourself to get caught up in stressful situations. Stress and anxiety zap your energy, preventing clear thoughts and logical actions.
Practice restraint, especially when faced with frustrating situations. Learn to think before you act, especially in an argument or discussion.
Most often, small office issues become overblown because those involved do not consider thinking first before reacting.
Should you encounter disappointments during the day, let go and move on. Do not dwell on one hostile encounter. Move on and channel your energy to more worthwhile tasks.
4. Do Not Let Haters Bring You Down. There will be people who try to bring you down. Do not take it too personally because their negativity is a result of their own personal issues.
Expect to encounter people who have a hard time dealing with the success of other people, too. They may be envious because they will never be like you. Do not let the negativity suck out the positivity from you.
5. Remember Your Values. When pursuing your goals and dreams, keep track of your core beliefs and values. There are people who, in their quest to become successful, often forget what they stand for.
Do not compromise your values just to succeed. Learn to understand yourself and the world around you.
However, you may encounter people with different beliefs. Do not shut them out completely. Use it as an opportunity to gain more perspective.
You just might gain some fresh insights on issues you struggle with. Maintain an open mind and listen to other people.
6. Continue To Enjoy Life. Perseverance Means Having To Spend Countless Hours Working Hard. However, spending all of your time on work can actually be detrimental to your success.
You may begin resenting work, which may result in a downward spin. Prevent that from happening by staying positive and enjoying life as it unfolds.
Include some time to relax and recharge in your schedule because you need the strength to continue working hard for your dreams.
Life can be upsetting sometimes, even without all the hard work your goals require. So, keep life light by taking a different perspective on it.
Set regular dates with your spouse or with your friends. Spend time with the kids. Have some time to yourself.
You do not need to forego having fun just because you want to attain your goals. Your life needs proper balance to prevent burnout.
Deal With The Challenges
Challenges add spice to life. You just have to know how to deal with them.
1. Be Realistic. Life is full of challenges. Life is hard, but you have the advantage when you can face obstacles head-on. It is easy to ignore a problem when it arises or even sugarcoat it to ease the hurt.
Some people may even put off making a big decision. Life’s challenges are not meant to be handled that way. You have to learn how to see these challenges through.
Learn to accept that in your journey toward attaining your goals, you will find yourself dealing with roadblocks. Do not make excuses. When you fail, take responsibility for your action or lack of it.
For instance, if you aim to publish a book but fail, you cannot blame your kids, your job, or your life. Remember that the power is within you.
If you do not find time to write, you will never even begin a chapter. Avoid turning to escapism when faced with adversities.
When you turn to alcohol or drugs, you only get temporary respite from the problems. Once you are sober, the issues are still there.
2. Consider Your Options. Do not rush into making decisions without thoroughly thinking through all the possibilities.
Do not look for shortcut solutions to problems because they may backfire in the long run. It is okay to ask for advice from loved ones or friends.
Get sound advice from people with wisdom and with the same experience. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of maturity.
3. Listen To Your Gut. Most of the time, your intuition can guide you in making difficult decisions. When you feel something could be wrong, you may be right.
4. When You Listen To Your Gut Feel, you have to let your conscience guide you. Your conscience should be a major player when making decisions.
At the end of the day, you have to consider if you have done the right thing. When you act with your conscience, you always make the best decision.
You can be confident that you did your best in dealing with the problem, even if it may bring about a setback in the end. The easy way is not always the right way.
The right path may sometimes be clear, but it can turn murky some days. Meditate, talk to people with wisdom, and pray. These are just three steps you can take to stay on the right path.
5. Make A Stand. Once you have made your decision, do not second-guess. Stand by it and back it up with everything you have.
If you know your decision was the right one, make a stand and take full responsibility. Expect to encounter criticism.
Your actions may not be popular, but if you know in your heart they are right, stand tall and firm. Avoid self-doubt. Draw your strength from knowing you weighed all your options carefully.
6. Learn From Mistakes And Failures. You cannot always get it right on the first try. You gain wisdom through the mistakes you make in life. Turn failures and mistakes into learning experiences.
Instead of dwelling on them, take the lessons and reflect on them. This way, next time around you do not make the same mistakes. Figure out ways to do things differently next time.
Remember that even the best have failed many times. Do not beat yourself up every time your plans go wrong. Instead, learn from the wrong turns and plot a new strategy. Get back on track to achieving your goals.
Stay Resilient
You have learned by now that life is not a walk in the park. There are ups and downs, so staying resilient in the midst of all the challenges is important.
1. Stay Healthy In Mind And Body. It is hard to stay focused when your mind is not healthy or when your body is out of shape.
Remember that in the pursuit of your dreams, there will be a lot of challenges. You have to stay healthy to get through the tough times.
Eat healthy and exercise, get enough sleep, and drink plenty of water. Make sure you live a healthy lifestyle.
2. Surround Yourself With People Who Support Your Endeavors. Accept the fact that no man is an island. You have to be part of a community in order to live a normal life.
The support of your family and friends is an integral part of your success. It is good to be a part of a group because you also have the opportunity to help others.
3. Keep The Right Perspective. Do not just get by, but learn to live! You have to work hard for your goals, but that does not mean you cannot enjoy life.
You also need to stop and smell the roses or enjoy the sunshine on your skin. The little things keep you sane, so notice them and appreciate them.
Perseverance does not mean you have to stop enjoying life -quite the opposite, actually. The more you persevere for your goals, the more you need to enjoy life as it comes.
Do not let life pass you by because you are too busy working. Get out, relax, and live your life.
4. Be Spiritually Fit. Overall health includes having a nourished spirituality. Most people spend too much time on other aspects of life and neglect their spiritual life.
If you belong to a church congregation, make sure you attend regularly. Pray for guidance and strength. Meditate to keep your mind relaxed and calm.
You can achieve inner peace when you meditate or pray. Commune with nature too, as it helps nurture your spiritual side.
5. Be True To Yourself. Do not compromise your values and beliefs for your goals. Persevere, but continue to align your decisions and actions with your core values.
To be able to show up with poise and composure regardless of what is going on – that is surely the meaning of resiliency. -Sherri Bishop
Remember, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.
In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, and how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou