Many people launch into the world of Entrepreneurship despite its many uncertainties. They often have no idea if they are fit to be entrepreneurs. The brave idea of ​​the adage “Jump in and Cope!” it’s too risky for this kind of endeavor. Much will be at stake if it is not executed well: time, money and reputation. It’s different than learning to swim or learn to play the guitar, where you can quit and say, “It’s not for me.” The field of Entrepreneurship is complex. It is very important that all budding entrepreneurs are aware of the challenges and opportunities that it presents. However, the act of jumping and facing is indeed a remarkable virtue. Combine it with perseverance over a long period, it makes it an essential ingredient to be brave.

What is Grit?

The term “Grit” may be new to some of us, but it’s been around for a while. He was sensationalized for the classic 1960s film “True Grit,” based on a novel by Charles Portis. The story revolves around a teenage tomboy, Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), who hires tough-minded US Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (John Wayne) to avenge the death of his father. She hired Rooster because he has “grit” and a reputation for getting things done.

According to Merriam-Webster:

Sand: (noun)

: firmness of mind or spirit

: unwavering courage in the face of difficulties or danger

According to Dr. Duckworth:

Sand it is “Passion and Perseverance for very long-term goals.“

The resistance to work on things in a constant direction with great effort for a long time. Grit constantly works on your long-term goals. And working hard to make that future a reality.

A definite sandy individual:

An individual who is motivated to work courageously and tirelessly in the midst of adversity, challenges, and failures to achieve desired goals. This individual tends to perform better than others who lack the stamina.

Defined passion:

Passion: (noun) a strong feeling of excitement or excitement about something

Perseverance Defined:

Perseverance: (noun) constancy in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Constant persistence in a course of action, a purpose; especially despite difficulties, obstacles or discouragement.

Resilience Defined:

Resilience: (noun) the ability to bounce back or adapt to challenges or changes.

The ability to quickly recover from difficulties; tenacity. The ability to bounce back from adversity. It is a precursor to Grit, but it is not exactly the same as Grit.

Resilience is one thing you need to be brave, but not the only thing. You also need the passion. Something you really committed to working on for the long haul.

Setting a long-term goal may not be easy. Obstacles will get in the way. You need to figure out how to manage and deal with them. You have to keep working to achieve your goal. That’s what resilience is all about.

Duckworth and her colleagues conducted a series of studies that found that people with Grit:

He reached a higher level of education.

I got higher GPAs.

They were more likely to graduate from high school.

– Dr. Angela Duckworth et al. (2007,2014)

Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Grain vs. Talent

How do we build Grit in entrepreneurs? Are sustained efforts and sheer perseverance more important than sheer talent?

According to Dr. Duckworth, for many outcomes, such as graduating from West Point (US Military Academy), Grit is more predictive of success than IQ or SAT scores. In a culture where we praise talent all the time, it’s just not enough to win. However, we do not undermine talent because talent exists. The important thing is to highlight the undervalued role of effort, practice and time spent on tasks that determine final performance.

Talent will not make you brave. There are talented people who do not fulfill their commitments. In fact, the data shows that Grit is unrelated or even inversely related to measures of talent.

How do we teach Grit?

Entrepreneurs acquire grit by having a “growth mindset,” an idea developed by Dr. Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University. She wrote a book called: “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”. It is the belief that learning is not fixed. That learning can change by exerting effort. Dr. Dweck argues that everyone can get smarter if they work at it. While a person with a fixed mindset is one who fears failure, a growth mindset, on the other hand, believes that learning comes from failure.

Other experts say that you can teach Grit in schools. There’s a term they use in character education called “productive fighting.” The process is like this: teachers give students difficult tasks to solve. They watch, analyze, and wait as students struggle to find solutions to the problem. When the time is right, teachers step in, discuss the problem, and solve the problem together.

On the other hand, parents have their part in this. There are ways in which they mold children to become more courageous. It’s called “Framing Children’s Experiences.” Do you remember when a little boy runs down the hall and falls? The first thing he does is look at you and check your reaction. When you yell, or she sees you scared, she starts to cry. But when you smile and say, you’re fine. Instantly she gets up and continues walking. This method works very powerfully.

Conclusion:

Do you live, love, matter?

-Brendon Burchard

New York Times bestselling author of “The Charge”

Burchard said you would be asked three questions on your deathbed: Did you live fully and vibrantly? Did you love openly, honestly, and completely? Did you contribute something useful to society?

Determination is an essential virtue for every entrepreneur. Play a very important role to these questions at least for the second: to be useful. The idea of ​​being brave to learn new things, master them and share what you have learned with others. These are disciplines that will propel entrepreneurs to be successful in whatever they choose to do in life.