How to Develop Grit Even If You Feel Like Giving Up

Have you ever felt like giving up on a dream, even when you knew it had potential? I certainly did when I started my food delivery business. In our first year, we blew through ten times as much cash as anticipated, had our business plan stolen, and were even robbed by our own GM. It would have been easy to throw in the towel. But instead of quitting, I chose to persevere. That decision ultimately led to the company being purchased for $321M years later.

This story exemplifies grit - the unrelenting perseverance that pushes people to keep going, even when success feels impossible. Many people struggle to stick with their goals, especially when obstacles arise. They start strong, but when challenges appear, motivation fades, and they abandon their pursuits. The result? Stagnation, frustration, and a lack of progress toward the life they desire.

But grit is the game-changer. It's the factor that allows people to persevere through setbacks and continue pursuing their goals, no matter how hard things get. The good news? You can develop grit, even if you feel like giving up.

Here’s what you’ll gain from this blog:

• Learn the key characteristics of grit and how to cultivate them in your own life.

• Discover science-backed strategies on how to develop grit and mental toughness that lasts.

• Gain practical tools to persevere through difficult times, even when you feel like quitting.

What is Grit and Why Is It Important?

Grit is the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It’s the drive that keeps you moving forward, even when everything inside you wants to quit. Grit is the ability to stick with goals over the long term, characterized by focused attention, resilience, perseverance, and dedication toward long-term goals, no matter how hard or frustrating the journey may become.

What separates gritty individuals from the rest is not necessarily talent or intelligence, but rather their ability to keep showing up. Grit involves passion—a deep, enduring interest in something—and perseverance, the determination to continue working toward goals despite obstacles, failures, or slow progress.

But why is grit so important?

• It leads to long-term success: Grit is often a stronger predictor of success than intelligence or innate talent. While talent and skills are essential, grit enables you to keep improving and pushing forward, even when progress is slow or results aren’t immediately visible.

• It builds resilience: Gritty people bounce back from setbacks and use failures as learning experiences. Instead of viewing challenges as roadblocks, they see them as stepping stones toward growth.

• It keeps you focused on what truly matters: While motivation can wane, grit ensures that you remain committed to your long-term goals, regardless of immediate circumstances or distractions.

In short, grit is the secret ingredient that allows people to push through challenges and achieve meaningful success. In fact, many would argue that grit is a key factor in winning in life.

The 5 Characteristics of Grit

While grit encompasses perseverance and passion, there are five key characteristics that set gritty people apart:

1. Perseverance - This is the backbone of grit. It’s the ability to stay committed to your goals over time, even when faced with repeated failures. Perseverance is what helps gritty people push through tough moments instead of giving up.

2. Passion - Gritty people are deeply committed to their goals and maintain a passion for their pursuits over the long term. Passion is not just about being excited about something for a few weeks—it's about a lasting, deep commitment.

3. Resilience - Life is full of setbacks, and gritty people know how to bounce back. Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties and continue moving forward. It’s a hallmark of those who keep pushing toward their goals no matter the obstacles. Listen to our podcast on Resilient Mindset.

4. Self-control - This characteristic involves managing your impulses and staying focused on what’s important. Gritty people don’t let distractions or short-term desires pull them away from their long-term goals.

5. Deliberate Practice - Gritty individuals know that success isn’t about perfection, but about improving through practice. This concept of deliberate practice—focused, goal-oriented efforts to improve—is key to building expertise over time.

Learn More: Top 10 habits of successful people

Grit Examples

Let's take a quick tour through the Hall of Grit, where ordinary people turned setbacks into comebacks:

1. The Wizard of Light Bulbs: Thomas Edison didn't just fail once or twice - he failed a whopping 1,000 times before creating a working light bulb. His response? "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." Now that's what Grit looks like.

2. The Lady Who Lived... to Write: J.K. Rowling's life was no magic carpet ride. Divorced, depressed, and dead broke, she still managed to conjure up Harry Potter. 12 publishing houses rejected her manuscript before someone saw the magic.

3. The Jumpman Who Couldn't Jump: Michael Jordan, the basketball GOAT, was once... wait for it... cut from his high school team! Instead of crying foul, he practiced harder and soared higher. Air Jordan? More like Grit Jordan!

4. The King of Horror (and Rejection): Stephen King's first novel, "Carrie," was rejected 30 times. He actually threw it in the trash! Thankfully, his wife fished it out, and the rest is blood-curdling history. Talk about a plot twist!

These gritty folks didn't just face obstacles; they stared them down, laughed in their face, and kept pushing forward. They prove that success isn't about avoiding failure - it's about failing forward and keeping your eyes on the prize. So next time life throws you a curveball, remember: you're in good company. Batter up!

Learn More: How to be a more positive person

How You Can Increase Your Grit Level

Angela Duckworth (psychologist known for her grit research) defined grit as passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. While some may view it as an innate trait, research shows that grit can be developed over time.

This section outlines four evidence-based, actionable Momentum-Boosting Methods to help you increase your grit level. These methods work synergistically, addressing different aspects of behavior change:

1. Cognition (Make It Obvious): Enhances awareness and primes goal-directed behavior.

2. Behavior (Make It Easy): Facilitates action through manageable steps.

3. Emotion (Make It Fun): Boosts motivation and positive associations through gamification.

4. Automaticity (Make It Automatic): Reduces reliance on willpower over time.

Listen to our podcast on Gamification Systems with Eric Sui

1. Make It Obvious: Cultivate Visual Reminders

What it means: Create clear visual cues that reinforce your commitment to long-term goals and perseverance.

Example: Design a "Grit Wall" in your workspace. Display your long-term goals, inspiring quotes about perseverance, and images of role models who embody grit. This visual reminder strengthens both the passion and perseverance components of grit. Set up digital reminders on your devices with motivational messages or goal-related images as screensavers or notifications.

Overcoming challenges: If you find yourself ignoring the visual cues over time, regularly update and refresh your Grit Wall or digital reminders to maintain their impact.

2. Make It Easy: Break Down Goals into Micro-Actions

What it means: Divide long-term objectives into smaller, manageable tasks to make consistent progress feel more achievable.

Example: If your goal is to build a successful business, commit to one small, grit-building action each day. This could be making one sales call, writing one page of your business plan, or solving one operational problem.

Overcoming challenges: If you feel overwhelmed by the number of micro-tasks, focus on the most impactful ones and gradually increase your capacity over time. You can utilize the Ivy Lee method to learn more about it.

Read more: How Small Changes Lead to Big Results in Transforming Your Life

3. Make It Fun and Rewarding: Gamify Your Grit Journey

What it means: Associate grit-building behaviors with positive experiences to increase motivation and sustain long-term effort.

Example: Create a "Grit Jar." Add a small token (like a marble) to the jar every time you push through a difficult task or continue working towards your goal despite setbacks. When the jar is full, reward yourself with something meaningful.

Use a habit-tracking app with built-in rewards or achievements to visually represent your progress in developing grit.

Overcoming challenges: If the rewards lose their appeal, involve friends or family in your grit-building journey, creating a support system and adding a social element to your rewards.

4. Make It Automatic: Establish Grit-Building Routines

What it means: Set up systems that prompt you to practice grit-building behaviors without relying solely on willpower.

Example: Use a habit-tracking app to log your daily "grit actions." Set it up to send you daily reminders to persist in your goals and prompt you to reflect on how you've demonstrated grit each day.

Overcoming challenges: If you find yourself resisting the routine, experiment with different times of day or contexts to find when you're most receptive to grit-building activities.

To track your grit development, take Duckworth's Grit Scale assessment at regular intervals (e.g., every 3-6 months). Compare your scores over time to see how these methods are impacting your grit level.

Studies have shown that interventions focusing on goal-setting, perseverance, and passion can significantly increase grit scores (Steinmayr et al., 2018; Alan et al., 2019). These Momentum-Boosting Methods align with such evidence-based approaches.

These methods are part of the Moore Momentum System, an AI-powered app that makes personal growth as fun as playing your favorite game. It uses strategies like these across five key life areas: Mindset, Career, Relationships, and physical and mental health to help you level up in real life.

Remember, building grit takes time. But with a system that makes growth enjoyable and engaging, you're more likely to stick with it and reach your long-term goals.

Grit vs. Resilience

While grit and resilience are often mentioned together, they are distinct qualities, each playing a unique role in achieving long-term success. Understanding the differences between them can help you better navigate challenges and know when to apply each trait.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, trauma, or setbacks. It’s about recovering quickly and continuing to move forward after experiencing difficulties. Resilience is your capacity to withstand stress and hardship without letting it permanently affect your goals or mental state.

Grit, on the other hand, is about sustained, long-term effort and passion for achieving goals. It’s the commitment to keep moving forward, even when progress is slow, and obstacles seem insurmountable. While resilience helps you bounce back from short-term challenges, grit keeps you committed to your long-term vision, regardless of how difficult the path becomes.

When to Use Each?

• Resilience: Apply resilience when you face setbacks or unexpected obstacles that throw you off course. It’s what helps you get back on your feet and refocus on your goals after a disruption.

• Grit: Grit comes into play when the challenge is ongoing, and success requires long-term dedication. It’s essential when working on something that demands perseverance over months or years, like building a business, pursuing a degree, or mastering a skill.

How to Develop Mental Grit

Developing mental grit is crucial for pushing through obstacles and staying focused on long-term goals. Emphasizing the importance of a growth mindset as a foundational element for improvement, here are three effective strategies to build mental grit:

1. Adopt a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset, popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck, is the belief that your abilities and intelligence can improve through effort and learning. This mindset is essential for mental grit because it helps you see challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than barriers. With this mindset, failures are not the end but rather steps toward improvement. You can learn more about growth mindset games that can help you in developing growth mindset.

2. Focus on Deliberate Practice

Deliberate practice involves putting in focused, goal-oriented effort to improve specific skills or abilities. It requires consistent effort and feedback, targeting areas where improvement is needed. This method strengthens consistency and discipline and builds a strong work ethic, which is important for developing mental grit.

3. Stay Committed to Passion and Perseverance

At the core of grit are passion and perseverance. Passion refers to a deep commitment to a meaningful goal, and perseverance is the ability to keep working toward that goal over time, no matter the difficulties. Staying committed to what matters helps you maintain focus, even when faced with setbacks.

Conclusion: How to develop Grit

Developing grit is the key to achieving long-term success, maintaining focus, and overcoming obstacles. Throughout this blog, we’ve explored the essential components of grit, from understanding what it is and why it’s important, to learning the five core characteristics that define gritty people.

To build grit:

• Focus on perseverance and passion, committing to your goals for the long haul.

• Break down your goals into small, manageable steps to make progress feel achievable.

• Use deliberate practice to strengthen your abilities over time, and remain committed to your goals, even when faced with setbacks.

FAQ Section

How can I develop grit?

• Focus on building mental toughness and practicing perseverance in everyday life.

• Set long-term goals and apply deliberate practice to improve skills.

• Understand that natural talent plays a small role; sustained effort over time matters more.

• Stay committed to your ultimate goal, even during tough times.

In what ways can grit be developed?

• Cultivate a growth mindset and use deliberate practice to overcome challenges.

• High achievers reflect on their passion and perseverance, pushing forward despite setbacks.

• A sense of long-term commitment leads to success and enhances well-being.

How do I activate grit in challenging situations?

• Reflect on your passion and perseverance for your ultimate goal during tough moments.

• Focus on effort, not natural talent, in the given moment.

• Practice self-control and push forward, building more grit through difficult times.

How do you develop mental grit over time?

Mental grit develops through a combination of consistent effort, deliberate practice, and resilience. Gritty people are able to maintain focus on their long-term goals and overcome obstacles by using a growth mindset. Over time, these habits contribute to building mental toughness and strengthening their ability to achieve success.

What is the grit scale and how is it measured?

The grit scale, developed by leading grit researcher Angela Duckworth, measures an individual's passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. It helps define grit by assessing how well a person can maintain their effort over time, even when facing setbacks. Duckworth's research shows that effort counts more than talent when it comes to long-term success.