Review: Grit: Why passion and resilience are the secrets to success

Grit: Why passion and resilience are the secrets to success by Angela Duckworth
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Honestly, I hoped for more.

I picked this book up thinking it would be inspiring; that it would motivate me to find my own grit and understand new ideas about how resilience plays a role in becoming a more successful person.

Then I read This Review and began to worry. I hoped I would interpret this book differently, find some kernel to hold onto that would make this a worthy read. Unfortunately, Andy has pretty much nailed it.

So much of this book seems obvious, and so many times it felt like the author was reaching. Like she's been comissioned to write this book so now not only does she have to come up with unique, fascinating concepts but there's also a decent word count to meet. I just got so bored with it.

Here's the breakdown:
- Hard work and determination outweigh talent when it comes to succeeding
- Hard work is more likely to occur when there is interest in the work
- The work is more likely to be interesting if you feel it has purpose
- If you feel your work has purpose you're much more likely to stick at it

Then there are countless anecdotes about successful people working hard with purpose.

I enjoyed the 'Grit' questionairre, but it's vague and misleading; the first time I did it, I considered the questions generally. My grit score is quite low, because I'm one of those people who drifts from one interest to another. I don't stick with something that bores me, or makes me unhappy. I did it a second time, however, considering the questions in relation to something I am passionate about, and I got a much higher result. So yes, that pretty much confirms the notion that you have more grit if you care about something. But at the same time, so much of the book is about the vague idea of people being 'gritty' without properly considering these multifaceted depths of grittiness.

I agree with most of what is here, but so much is supposition and assumption. The author seems to talk more about her ideas than actual evidence. 'We did this study, and I don't really know why this is the result, but I would guess it's because ...' So even the research is inconclusive, even if highly suggestive.

She also talks a lot about herself? Which honestly came across as more arrogant than helpful.

I have a friend who is a brilliant artist. Once, while looking at some of his work, I said, 'Man, I wish I had half your talent!'

His response? That by envying his talent, I was minimising all of the hard work he'd put into mastering his craft.

For me, that single comment from my friend told me everything this book spent 400-odd pages trying to tell me. I still think about it when I find myself envying the success of others, or wanting my own success.

The takeaway: As much as we admire talent, and fantasise about having it ourselves, to truly be successful in something we need to work at it. By seeing the result of someone's hard work as 'talent', we're excusing ourselves from having to put in the same kind of effort. If you want something bad enough, you'll put in the work. If you don't want to put in the work, you don't want it enough.

I think this book should have been less about how important grit is, and more about how one can find their own grit. It discusses it vaguely, but it seems purposeless instead of motivational; aimless instead of focused. It's crowded with the success stories of others, but the message never changes: determination to succeed is more important than having a talent for it.

It's certainly got some good ideas and will serve as a great awakening for some - this may be the book you need to motivate you to start structuring your life in terms of goals that will lead to your ultimate success. It might encourage you to stop thinking ideally and start thinking practically. It might reveal to you what you ARE passionate about, and what you AREN'T. But it's ultimately a book of ideas, and you're going to have to do a lot of hard work by yourself.

Here's how I think of Grit:
Say you're reading a book and you find it's not really your cup of tea. It's dull, with lifeless characters, and it's riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. It's mostly a chore to read. By the time you finish it, you're exhausted and regret the hours you wasted on it.
Then you pick up a book that has everything you love - brilliant writing, interesting plot, great characters ... you find yourself unable to put it down and when you finish you feel satisfied and happy you chose to read it.

Don't berate yourself for not having grit - you do. You just need to find the passion that unlocks it.

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