Grit - The power of passion and perservance

In a world that often prioritizes quick results and instant gratification, the concept of grit has emerged as a powerful force for achieving long-term success. Coined by psychologist Angela Duckworth, grit is defined as the combination of passion and perseverance in pursuit of a long-term goal. It’s not merely about working hard; it’s about staying the course, despite the inevitable challenges that life throws our way.

Grit is more than just resilience; it’s a steadfast commitment to your goals, combined with a deep-seated passion for what you do. It’s the willingness to put in the effort, day after day, regardless of the obstacles. Duckworth’s research suggests that talent alone is not the sole predictor of success. Instead, it’s the relentless pursuit of improvement and a belief in one’s ability to grow and learn that truly makes a difference.

Passion fuels grit. It’s the driving force that keeps us motivated even when the going gets tough. Passionate individuals find joy in their work, which makes the process of striving for their goals more fulfilling. This intrinsic motivation allows them to weather setbacks and remain focused on the bigger picture. When you’re passionate about what you do, challenges become opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable barriers.

Here is an excellent Ted talk explaining the concept of grit:

What is Deep Work and why is it important?

Deep Work is a concept developed by Georgetown Professor Cal Newport. In his book Deep Work. Rules for focused success in a distracted world, he presents the idea and how to achieve it. This was one of my favorite books in 2023, and the content can be summarized to the following:

What is Deep Work? Deep work is when you are focusing without distraction on a cognitive demanding task. This is the type of work where you perform superior outcome, e.g. writing a strategy memo. The problem, however, is that such important, demanding work is normally interrupted by distractions like e-mail, phone calls or social media. Such shift in attention will reduce the quality of the cognititve demanding work tasks.

Why is it important? In many professional contexts Deep Work, as opposite to shallow work, is what makes a difference or as the author puts it: moves the needle and crates value. People and organizations mastering deep will create a disproportionate competitive advantage. This does not mean that less cognitive work is not important.

How to do it better? The first step is to acknowledge what deep work is and why it is important. Second step is to actually prioritize it and be conscious about the deep work / shallow work ratio. The optimal ratio will of course depend on what work or position you have. Then schedule deep work in your calendar like a meeting or appointment. This can be done certain days during the week or certains times during each work day. Finally you have to train your ability to work concentrated. This includes avoiding distractions described above. Training for increased consentration stamina can also include activities like reading books meditation or playing chess.

Here is a short video of the author presenting Deep Work:

And here is a slightly more entertaining presentation:

Netflix documentary: Working - What we do all day

Working - What we do all day is a Netflix documentary that deals with American working life from top to bottom in three different companies. It shows how personal finances, meaning in working, security and future prospects are affected by industry and the employee's place in the job pyramid. In other words, it problematizes socio-economic effects of working life. The American adage that if you just work hard enough you will succeed is coming under pressure. The documentary shows that the picture is considerably more complex, and where the factors of ability, background and coincidences play significant roles. Producer and narrator is Barack Obama.