Grit and Mindshift: A Powerful Combination
Recent experiences reminded me about the power of grit and "mindshift"—particularly in adulthood. That’s when we think we know our strengths.
Here are the general concepts of grit and mind shift first.
Grit, a concept promulgated by “rockstar” U Penn Professor and author of Grit Angela Duckworth, is passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It’s hard to succeed in anything without grit.
Mindshift is the title of the book, Mindshift (2017), by celebrated author, engineer, and educator Dr. Barbara Oakley. Its message: we often underestimate ourselves, assuming we can’t learn new things in adulthood. But we can….and we can discover hidden potential.
Grit on Wednesday
On Wednesday I heard Dr. Duckworth speak at the Boston Public Library thanks to the Penn Alumni Association and to my friend Martha, a Wharton grad.
Dr. Duckworth is a polished, inspiring speaker. She reiterated four main ways to develop grit:
1. Develop your interests before training your weaknesses.
2. Know the science of deliberate practice (DP), a term coined by Dr. Anders Ericsson. DP often involves 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice. DP is not fun. It can be frustrating and it does involve frequent failure. And DP is done with feedback from a coach or teacher to improve performance.
3. Cultivate purpose. What's your mission?
4. Finally, have a growth - as opposed to a fixed- mindset. Growth mindset author Dr. Carol Dweck explains that those with a growth mindset believe intelligence can be developed (it’s not static). People with growth mindsets want to learn (as opposed to look smart) and they embrace (they do not avoid) challenges.
We know that we’re usually the only ones who know the many small steps of hard work behind our accomplishments. Dr. Duckworth showed this quote by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.
We know that we’re usually the only ones who know the many small steps of hard work behind our accomplishments. Dr. Duckworth showed this quote by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.
Here are the general concepts of grit and mind shift first.
Grit, a concept promulgated by “rockstar” U Penn Professor and author of Grit Angela Duckworth, is passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It’s hard to succeed in anything without grit.
Mindshift is the title of the book, Mindshift (2017), by celebrated author, engineer, and educator Dr. Barbara Oakley. Its message: we often underestimate ourselves, assuming we can’t learn new things in adulthood. But we can….and we can discover hidden potential.
Grit on Wednesday
On Wednesday I heard Dr. Duckworth speak at the Boston Public Library thanks to the Penn Alumni Association and to my friend Martha, a Wharton grad.
Dr. Duckworth is a polished, inspiring speaker. She reiterated four main ways to develop grit:
1. Develop your interests before training your weaknesses.
2. Know the science of deliberate practice (DP), a term coined by Dr. Anders Ericsson. DP often involves 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice. DP is not fun. It can be frustrating and it does involve frequent failure. And DP is done with feedback from a coach or teacher to improve performance.
3. Cultivate purpose. What's your mission?
4. Finally, have a growth - as opposed to a fixed- mindset. Growth mindset author Dr. Carol Dweck explains that those with a growth mindset believe intelligence can be developed (it’s not static). People with growth mindsets want to learn (as opposed to look smart) and they embrace (they do not avoid) challenges.
We know that we’re usually the only ones who know the many small steps of hard work behind our accomplishments. Dr. Duckworth showed this quote by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.
We know that we’re usually the only ones who know the many small steps of hard work behind our accomplishments. Dr. Duckworth showed this quote by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.
Grit and Mindshift on Thursday
On Thursday night I cheered on women from a beginning running M.O.V.E.! group. Two of them had never run a 5K before. (It was a 5K in cold, driving rain.)
On Thursday night I cheered on women from a beginning running M.O.V.E.! group. Two of them had never run a 5K before. (It was a 5K in cold, driving rain.)
Like the other members of their group (Milica, Betsy, Misti, and Tracey), they are examples of grit and “mindshift”. They show up for practice on most weeks. Practice is outdoors all year long -- snow, rain, etc.
Taking up running for the first time as adults (or after years of not running), they show up to push themselves, testing believe and hope that they can be their running best in mid-life. The possibilities exist: Where might they be running and how fast might they be after 10 years or 10,000 hours?
Esra, a native of Turkey, told her story. Active all her life – a skier, tennis player, cyclist swimmer, etc. – Esra had never considered running until she started with MOVE! last fall.
“I always attributed running to athletes and thought it required very special physical abilities that ordinary people cannot even try,” she said.
She tried a “mindshift” instead. Last fall her first goal was to run for 15 seconds. “I am a real beginner runner,” she said. In addition to attending practices, she ran twice more each week.
“The biggest challenges were doing it consistently, changing the mind set, getting rid of fears like getting injured and beliefs like running is not appropriate after certain age,” she said.
After about six months she was able to run twice around the Brookline Reservoir (1.9 miles).
More Organized, Confident, Energetic
Things started to change. “I started to believe in my physical strength, inner integrity, and in the importance of consistency,” she said. “I became more disciplined, more organized. Most important of all, I feel more healthy and energetic.”
“The first couple of months are tough,” she said. “But if you keep on doing it consistently you will see the progress you make and it gives great pleasure, strength which will be reflected the other fields of life."
Like Heli, Margot, and Sandra, Esra exceeded her goal. Her “A” goal was 34:30. She ran 32:28.
She returns to Turkey on Monday as a runner. Esra.....ready for more grit and “mindshift”?
Taking up running for the first time as adults (or after years of not running), they show up to push themselves, testing believe and hope that they can be their running best in mid-life. The possibilities exist: Where might they be running and how fast might they be after 10 years or 10,000 hours?
Esra, a native of Turkey, told her story. Active all her life – a skier, tennis player, cyclist swimmer, etc. – Esra had never considered running until she started with MOVE! last fall.
“I always attributed running to athletes and thought it required very special physical abilities that ordinary people cannot even try,” she said.
She tried a “mindshift” instead. Last fall her first goal was to run for 15 seconds. “I am a real beginner runner,” she said. In addition to attending practices, she ran twice more each week.
“The biggest challenges were doing it consistently, changing the mind set, getting rid of fears like getting injured and beliefs like running is not appropriate after certain age,” she said.
After about six months she was able to run twice around the Brookline Reservoir (1.9 miles).
More Organized, Confident, Energetic
Things started to change. “I started to believe in my physical strength, inner integrity, and in the importance of consistency,” she said. “I became more disciplined, more organized. Most important of all, I feel more healthy and energetic.”
“The first couple of months are tough,” she said. “But if you keep on doing it consistently you will see the progress you make and it gives great pleasure, strength which will be reflected the other fields of life."
Like Heli, Margot, and Sandra, Esra exceeded her goal. Her “A” goal was 34:30. She ran 32:28.
She returns to Turkey on Monday as a runner. Esra.....ready for more grit and “mindshift”?
