“The common denominator of high achievers, no matter what they’re achieving, is this special combination of passion and perseverance for really long-term goals,” Duckworth explains. “And in a word, it’s grit.”
The perseverance component is equally crucial, according to Duckworth. “Partly, it’s hard work, right? Partly it’s practicing what you can’t yet do, and partly it’s resilience. So part of perseverance is, on the really bad days, do you get up again?”
Duckworth’s research revealed a counterintuitive relationship between grit and traditional measures of ability. “I think that absolutely anything that any psychologist tells you is a good thing to have is partly under control,” she told Mel Robbins during the podcast taping. “I am not saying there aren’t genes that are at play, because every psychologist will tell you that that’s also part of the story for everything—grit included. But you know, how gritty we are is very much a function of what we know, who we’re around, and the places we go.”
Duckworth believes “effort counts twice” in the achievement equation. Her formula is as follows: Talent × Effort = Skill, and Skill × Effort = Achievement.
You can watch Mel Robbins’ full interview with Dr. Angela Duckworth below.
