---
aliases: ["Grit"]
Is A: Note
Author: "Angela Duckworth"
Topics: ["[[topic-mental-health]]"]
URL: "https://example.com/grit"
---
# Grit
*Angela Duckworth*

Duckworth defines grit as the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Her research shows that grit is a better predictor of success than talent, IQ, or socioeconomic background in contexts ranging from West Point cadets to National Spelling Bee finalists. The key insight is not that hard work matters -- everyone knows that -- but that the specific combination of sustained interest (passion) and sustained effort (perseverance) over years is what separates high achievers from the rest. Talent helps, but without grit, talent is just unmet potential.

For anyone running an indie business, the implication is both encouraging and sobering. Encouraging because it means you do not need to be the smartest person in the room to build something meaningful. Sobering because it means there are no shortcuts: the path to a successful newsletter, a profitable SaaS product, or a respected personal brand requires years of consistent effort. Duckworth's research on "grit paragons" -- people who have achieved extraordinary things through sustained effort -- consistently reveals that they found their work deeply meaningful, not just lucrative. This connects to the idea that intrinsic motivation is more durable than extrinsic motivation, which is critical for solo founders who lack external accountability.

The book also explores how grit can be cultivated rather than being a fixed trait. Duckworth identifies four psychological assets of gritty people: interest (you have to find the work fascinating), practice (deliberate practice specifically), purpose (the work must connect to something beyond yourself), and hope (not wishful thinking, but the belief that your efforts can improve things). This framework is useful for self-diagnosis: if your motivation is flagging, which of these four pillars is weak? Often the answer reveals a specific, addressable problem rather than a vague sense of burnout.

## Key takeaways

- Grit (passion + perseverance) is a stronger predictor of success than talent alone in most complex, long-term endeavors
- Passion in this context means sustained interest over years, not momentary enthusiasm -- it is more about consistency than intensity
- Deliberate practice is the mechanism through which grit produces results: working at the edge of your ability with feedback
- The four pillars of grit -- interest, practice, purpose, and hope -- can each be developed deliberately
- "Grit paragons" view setbacks as learning opportunities rather than evidence of inadequacy
- A "hard thing rule" can build grit: commit to one hard thing that requires daily practice, and do not quit during a natural cycle
- Effort counts twice: talent multiplied by effort equals skill, and skill multiplied by effort equals achievement

## How I apply this

- I use Duckworth's four-pillar framework as a diagnostic when I feel motivation dropping. Last quarter, I realized my flagging energy around the newsletter was not about burnout but about a weak "purpose" pillar -- I had lost sight of why I was writing. Reconnecting with reader feedback and impact stories restored my drive.
- I adopted the "hard thing rule" for both cycling and writing: I committed to not quitting either during a low period. The rule forces me to push through the inevitable troughs, and I have found that motivation often returns once you survive the dip.
- The distinction between passion as sustained interest versus fleeting excitement has changed how I evaluate new project ideas. I now ask "will I still care about this in two years?" rather than "does this excite me right now?"

## Related

- [[on-consistency-in-creative-work]]
- [[the-two-types-of-hard]]
- [[cycling-teaches-patience]]
- [[on-founder-energy-management]]
- [[note-atomic-habits]]
- [[note-so-good-they-cant-ignore]]
- [[note-the-art-of-learning]]
- [[note-man-search-for-meaning]]
- [[topic-mental-health]]
- [[topic-cycling-training]]
