Grit. It’s this word that seems a little vague, more fitting for a fun coffee mug than a Monday mantra. But today I’m wearing my favorite combat boots and I’m feeling edgy and daring, so it’s a word worth talking about and sharing with you so that you can kick off your week with a little bit of daredevil, too.

I heard a talk from psychologist and Penn professor Angela Duckworth, whose research and life is entirely dedicated to studying achievement. It’s something we all know far too well – the pursuit of achievement alongside the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of purpose, all in this crazy journey that is a pursuit of a fulfilled life. Whoa there, it’s only Monday, so can we plz get back to typical Monday mourning of the weekend and drowning in coffee? 

Since we keep it real around these rosy parts, let’s get real together for a hot sec. What’s the difference between people who seem to have it all together, accomplishing more and always going farther, faster? What’s the difference between that level of I’ve-got-IT and I’ve-got-confusion/fear/uncertainty/a case of Imma hot mess?

Some might say it’s an extra cup of coffee or an extra ounce of crazy. After hearing Angela’s research, it’s this:

grit.

Achievement is the combination of talent and effort. Talent is the rate at which you improve in skill. Deliberate practice, reflection, refinement, and repetition, combined with an underlying sense of purpose and calling, all makes this thing called grit come to life. Whoa now, I just thought I could check off my to-do’s and always learn something new and I’d be set to be a boss! No way José – there’s this whole level of oomph, of IT factor, that separates the good from the great. Can you reach it? Of course you can. But it takes work. It takes dedication and drive and chutzpah and an unquenchable thirst to reach your goals and then some. It takes this burning fire inside your soul, where you just know you’ve stumbled upon something special and you want to turn it into something even more special. It takes failure. It takes blatantly falling on your face…and picking yourself up, brushing off, reapplying your lipstick of choice and marching onwards to try again. That’s the key – this resilience that comes only in the pursuit of your purpose, where you are just so compelled and so driven by this dream in your heart, that no matter what obstacle comes before you, you can look it in the face and hop over with grace and gumption and grit.

So you wanna be successful, but being a gritty person just sounds like a lotta work, and you’re worried you’ll head straight to burn out if you push on and persevere through every single stinkin’ hard thing in life. Here’s the kicker: You don’t need grit across all avenues in life to be a success story.

I’m not a financial guru. I’m not a statistical guru. And I’m definitely not a calculus guru.

Sure, I could put in extra time developing grit in all of the above, really dedicating myself to maximum effort in order to get my talent levels as high as possible. But my passions aren’t there, and I know my purpose is not in numbers. I don’t focus on become grittier with numbers, because at the end of the day, I don’t think I have the power to inspire people with my numerical capabilities.

I do, however, hope that I can inspire people with words. In my efforts to turn this little blog into a powerhouse force on the web, I know I need to focus on getting grittier with facing rejection, disapproval, and the toxicity of comparison. I need to ask for help in my business when it comes to my own shortcomings (although never stop learning along the way!) and focus on building brands, helping bloggers grow and make money doing what they love, and helping business owners sell more and be more in their communities. I need to put all of my grace and gumption and grit into trying to make you feel something when you visit Coming Up Roses that makes your day brighter, baller, and more inspired.

The big question at the end of the day is this: What’s the easiest way to live an intentionally gritty life? Ask yourself these two questions before starting any task:

• What am I doing?

• Why am I doing it?

When you can discern the reasoning behind everything you do – even if it’s just acknowledging that you’re about to “Netflix and chill” *because* you had a rough day and deserve some R&R and TLC – you’re that much closer to proceeding with purpose and living a grittier, more intentioned life.

Today’s Tweetable Mantra:

Position your sweet self towards improvement and honing your focus like crazy. I really believe you CAN do it. I have faith that you can figure out your dream, even if you have no idea what you want to do when you grow up. You can have a purpose-driven life where you’re the bosslady in charge of your own joy. You can recover from challenges, obstacles and failures, and you can still propel yourself towards feeling fulfilled and achieving your dreams.

All it takes is kickstarting your grit.

Have you got what it takes?

I wanna know where you’ve got grit. What’s your *thing* in life where you’re putting your grittiness? Let me know in a comment below!