Introduction

Grit is that extra something that separates most successful people from the rest -Travis Bradbury

Let's assume that you are struggling, you're facing problems in your life that you don't know how to overcome. Maybe you've tried fighting back, maybe not.

When you are facing problems that seem overwhelming it's easy to look at those who are successful and wonder how they got that way, were they born with something extra ?, did they get lucky? do they have some extra advantage that you don't ?

The answer in most cases is no. They don't have anything that you either don't already have or can't develop.

Four Attributes Combination for Succesful People

There are four attributes that many consider the grid attributes, these attributes are commonly found in some combination in most successful people. these people might have been born with one or all of these attributes in greater quantities than you, but all of these things you can practice and improve with effort.

The grit attributes are : Courage, Adaptability, Perseverance, and Resilience.

Courage

Courage is defined as the ability to step into and face our fears. many of us go through life in a comfort zone. It's easy we do the same routine every day because there's no fear. We are able to walk through life without being challenged. The problem with this approach to life is that you don't get any better at things, you stay stuck in the same place that you've always been.

In fact as you get older you start to slide backwards if you stick to the same old routine, many successful people go out of their way to face their fears and challenge themselves on a daily basis.

Let's say that you're afraid of public speaking. So, how do CEOs and speakers get up on stage in front of hundreds ?.

I bet they didn't start that way to face this fear start by giving a speech to five or ten of your closest friends, then move to two to four strangers, then add a few more to your audience ; gradually grow the size and difficulty of your speaking engagements.

Each time that you face your fear of public speaking, it gets a little bit easier to do it the next time. Each time you overcome one obstacle you can add another this method of gradually facing your fears and making each encounter just a bit more difficult can be used to face any fear ; heights, swimming, public speaking, learning new skills.

The concept to beat these is always the same. Building courage is what the fight in fight or flight mechanism is all about. You can pick flight and stay in your safe existence mindlessly going throughout your day or you can pick fight. You can choose to face your fears, successful people make it a habit of being and developing courage.

Next up, Adaptability

There are tons of things in your life that you can change and control. Where you live , your friends, your job, and maybe what car you drive. These things will change but you get to choose them. Most things however will change without our say, you can't control the people, environment, decisions, or random events that are thrown your way.
To succeed you must be able to roll with whatever punches come your way.

Next up is perseverance

This is about grinding through the hard times no matter who you are, there will be tough times, and your ability to withstand these times is vital to your success. The best way i've heard perseverance described is that it's a combination of three things ;

Persistence, Tenacity, and fortitude.

The stone cutter is a perfect example of persistence. These craftsmen might strike a stone a
hundred times in the same location with nothing to show for it, yet on the 101st strike the stone splits in.

It wasn't the hundred and one strike that split, the stone it was the hundred before that. Tenacity is the unwillingness to give up. Most problems that are difficult enough to hold you up won't be solved on the first try, you'll have to keep trying different things time and time again, keep adjusting and keep adjusting your strategies before you find the solution. This is tenacity.

Fortitude ties persistence and tenacity together.

Fortitude is the willingness to tap the stone a hundred times or to try another solution after your tenth failed. It is the ability to keep going through failures and when it doesn't seem like
you are making any progress at all.

And finally resilience

Img

I like to think of resilience as being summed up by the saying get knocked down eight times get up nine. You keep pushing through good times and bad, you weather the storms, pick a goal - a big one and commit to not stopping until you reach it.

That's resilience.

Conclusion

Remember, grit is that extra something that separates the most successful people from the rest. with a little mindfulness and effort you can develop the great attributes that lead to many people's success. The courage to face your fears, the adaptability to roll with punches, the perseverance to overcome your struggles, and their resilience to face the test of time.

I hope that you enjoyed the article if you have an idea or saying that you'd like me to cover leave your suggestions in the comments below.

Images & Elements are free copyright provided by canva : Designed by Hollowins