True Grit
When you think of grit, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
John Wayne as Marshal Rooster J. Cogburn?
If that's the case, is "grit" restricted to horse-riding, gun slinging cowboys or can city-folk and athletes have grit, too?
What the heck is "grit" anyway?
That last question was recently addressed in an article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The authors of the article proposed that "grit" is essential to high achievement and that it is the one personal quality shared by most prominent leaders in every field.
The authors of the article, "Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals," write that
Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina. Whereas disappointment or boredom signals to others that it is time to change trajectory and cut losses, the gritty individual stays the course.
Sounds like every truly serious athlete I've ever worked with.
The authors explored the concept of "grit" in everyone from Ivy League undergraduates to West Point cadets, to National Spelling Bee contestants. What is most fascinating to me about their findings is that they corroborate earlier findings that follow-through is the single best predictor of accomplishment in many areas including sport. The study's authors asked individuals from a wide range of professions about the quality that distinguishes star performers in their respective fields.
These individuals cited grit or a close synonym as often as talent. In fact, many were awed by the achievement of peers who did not at first seem as gifted as others but whose sustained commitment to their ambitions was exceptional. Likewise, many noted with surprise that prodigiously gifted peers did not end up in the upper echelons of their field.
While sports fans often admire athletes with natural talent, it may be that athletes with grit, with perseverance and passion, stand a better chance of becoming top in their sport. Even age-group or recreational athletes may accomplish more than their talented counterparts if they are persistent.
Not that any of this is necessarily new knowledge.
Aesop wrote about "grit" in the mid-6th century BC.
You remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare, don't you? While the hare may have had more talent the tortoise -- the tortoise had grit!
Not that any of this is necessarily new knowledge.
Aesop wrote about "grit" in the mid-6th century BC.
You remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare, don't you? While the hare may have had more talent the tortoise -- the tortoise had grit!
As we reach the end of 2007, at a time in most of our training schedules when the days are short, nights long, and weather uncooperative, when the first race of the 2008 season is still a ways off, it may behoove us to remember the moral of Aesop's tale:
Slow and steady wins the race.
Now that's true grit!
Happy Holidays to you and yours! Thanks for reading Sportsminded and helping me take a crazy idea of blogging about sports psychology research and turn it into a reality.
Reference: Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., and Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1087-1101.
2 comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I just saw an interesting segment about Tom Brady on 60 Minutes. In college (Michigan State) he was a 7th-string quarterback. The pro scouting report on him said he was too narrow in build and couldn't run out of the pocket well. He has since won three Super Bowls. His team is undefeated this season. All of which gives further proof to your post. It's also the reason Madonna Budder is the triathlete I admire the most.
Anonymous says
I look forward to reading your blog everyday. Happy New year!