Grit: 5 Powerful Lessons on How to Build It
Grit is not something you either have or do not have. Angela Duckworth’s Grit gave me the clearest language I have found for how to build it in real life: not dramatic reinvention, but choosing to keep showing up. This is what grit, Angela Duckworth style, actually means – and why GRIT is my mot de l’année, my word for 2026.
Not because I’ve mastered it. Not because I’m some superhuman who never wants to quit. But because I’ve lived long enough to know that talent without effort gets you nowhere, and that the times I’ve grown the most have been the times I kept showing up even when it was hard.
I’ve been through postnatal depression three times. I moved back to France in 2020 after 18 years in the UK, expecting it to feel like coming home, and instead felt completely lost. I’ve started things and quit them. I’ve had moments where I genuinely wondered if I was strong enough to keep going.
But here’s what I’ve learned: strength isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build. One day at a time. One decision at a time. One small effort at a time.
That’s grit.
And when I heard Dr. Angela Duckworth talk about grit on the Mel Robbins Podcast, something clicked. She gave me a framework for what I’d been feeling, what I’d been trying to do, and why 2026 is the year I’m leaning into this word with everything I’ve got.
Grit by Angela Duckworth: The Equation That Blew My Mind
Dr. Duckworth breaks grit down into a simple equation:
Talent × Effort = Skill
Skill × Effort = Achievement
Do you see it? Effort appears TWICE. Talent matters, sure. But effort counts double.
“Talent counts, but effort counts twice.” – Dr. Angela Duckworth
This hit me hard because I’ve spent so much of my life watching other people and thinking they were just naturally good at things. Naturally organised. Naturally confident. Naturally disciplined. And me? I was just… trying.
But that’s the point. Trying IS the thing. Effort is what turns your potential into actual skill. And then effort AGAIN is what turns that skill into real results.
You’re not stuck with the hand you were dealt. You get to build what comes next.
How to Build Grit According to Angela Duckworth
According to Angela Duckworth, grit is the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It is not just pushing harder for the sake of it. It is caring about something enough to keep practising, learning and returning to it when the first excitement has worn off.
That is why this idea landed so deeply for me. Grit is not about being naturally disciplined or never struggling. It is about building the capacity to stay with what matters, especially when progress feels ordinary, slow or invisible.
What Does “Effort Counts Twice” Mean?
Angela Duckworth’s grit formula is simple: talent multiplied by effort becomes skill, then skill multiplied by effort becomes achievement. Effort appears twice because it is what turns potential into ability, then ability into something real in your life.
That does not mean talent is irrelevant. It means talent is not the end of the story. For me, the relief in this idea is that effort is something I can return to today, even if I feel behind, late or less naturally gifted than someone else.
The 4 Pillars of Grit (And They’re ALL Learnable)
Here is what grit, Angela Duckworth argues, is actually built from:
Related note: I also wrote a more focused reflection on Angela Duckworth’s effort equation and what it changed about how I think about capability.
1. INTEREST
Deep curiosity that captures your attention. Not what you think you should be interested in. What actually lights you up.
2. PRACTICE
Deliberate effort with feedback. Not just going through the motions, but actively trying to improve.
3. PURPOSE
Being part of something larger than yourself. Knowing that your effort matters to someone beyond you.
4. HOPE
The belief that your effort will improve your future. That you’re not stuck. That growth is possible.
And here’s the game-changer: these aren’t personality traits you’re born with. They’re skills you can develop. At any age. No matter where you’re starting from.
That’s hope right there.
Choose Easy, Then Work Hard
This might be the most counterintuitive lesson from the podcast, but it’s the one that’s changed how I approach everything.
Most people choose suffering first. They pick the hardest thing, the thing that will “prove” they’re disciplined, and then they burn out and quit.
Gritty people do the opposite. They choose what interests them, what feels almost easy because they genuinely enjoy it, and THEN they work hard at it.
“You’ll never be great at something where it is the hardest thing.”
I thought about this when I recently made the decision to switch from CrossFit to strength training at the gym. CrossFit is hard. Every session feels like a battle. And while I respect anyone who loves it, for me? It is suffering first. I am not interested enough to push through the hard, even after 2 years of keeping up with it and despite making huge progress, it still hurts too much and feels too hard.
Strength training, though? I’m genuinely curious about getting stronger. I want to learn proper form. I want to see what my body can do. So the hard work doesn’t feel like suffering. It feels like progress.
Choose easy. Work hard. That’s the secret. This is the core of grit Angela Duckworth describes — choose interest, then work hard.
Consistency Beats Intensity (Every Single Time)
Dr. Duckworth shared a quote from Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’ coach:
“Every deposit you make, you get to withdraw in competition.” This is grit, Angela Duckworth would say, in its purest form.
Translation? 8/10 effort every day beats 11/10 effort once in a while.
Consistency wins. Small deposits. Daily effort. Showing up even when you don’t feel like it.
I see this in everything. In teaching my students. In keeping up with my food diary. In reading one book at a time instead of trying to devour five at once and giving up on all of them.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present. Again and again and again.
What to DO (And What to STOP Doing)
Here’s what I’m taking from this and applying to my own life:
DO THIS:
- Take the Grit Scale at angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale (I’ve done this!)
- Stop planning, start doing – Interests emerge from action, not overthinking
- Sample broadly before specialising – Try things. See what sticks.
- Break goals into tiny steps – Then celebrate the small wins
- Talk to someone when stuck – Mentors beat solo introspection every time
- Ask: “Who benefits when I do my job well?” – Connect to purpose
STOP THIS:
- Waiting for motivation – Action creates motivation, not the other way around
- Saying “I should…” – Replace with “I want to…” or “I choose to…”
- Relying on talent alone – Remember: effort counts twice
- Choosing suffering first – Pick interest, THEN work hard
- Figuring it out alone – Seek feedback. Ask for help. Let people in.
Growth Mindset: The Foundation of Grit
Grit, Angela Duckworth explains, sits on a growth mindset foundation – and Carol Dweck’s work is central to that.
- Fixed mindset says: “I’m not good at this.”
- Growth mindset says: “I’m not good at this YET.”
That one word – YET – changes everything.
It means you’re not stuck. It means failure isn’t proof of your limits; it’s a learning opportunity. It means challenges aren’t threats; they’re invitations to grow.
“It is the nature of human nature to grow.” – Dr. Angela Duckworth
Why This Matters to Me (And Maybe to You Too)
I’m 46. I have three kids, three dogs, a teaching schedule, and a brain that never stops buzzing with ideas and a to-do list larger than life! Some days I feel behind. Some days I wonder if I started too late, if I’ve already missed my chance.
But grit reminds me: it’s not about where you start. It’s about what you do next.
Every day I choose to show up – to teach, to write, to train, to try again – I’m building something. Not overnight. Not perfectly. But consistently.
And consistency? That’s the heart of grit.
Related Notes from Soph
If this note on Grit by Angela Duckworth helped, you might also like these connected Notes from Soph:
- Mindset by Carol Dweck, for the growth mindset underneath grit.
- The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, for the small daily actions that compound over time.
- Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, for habit strategies that actually fit your temperament.
- The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma, for the morning practice side of consistency.
Why This Belongs in “Soul”
My blog is organised around my Tree of Life: Roots, Body, Mind, Heart, Soul, Purpose. Each section represents a part of my life that needs attention.
This post belongs in Soul because grit – Angela Duckworth’s definition – isn’t just a strategy – it’s a way of being. It’s about inner fire, perseverance, the spirit that keeps you going when everything in you wants to stop. Soul is where I put the things that fuel me from the inside out, and this episode lit something in me that I carry every single day.
So here’s to 2026. To choosing interest over suffering. To 8/10 effort every day. To celebrating small wins. To believing that effort counts twice, and that we’re all still growing.
Et toi? What does grit look like in your life right now? What small step are you taking today?
Notes from Soph | Learning, not perfection.
I’d love to hear from you – leave a comment or reach out.
Source Details:
Mel Robbins Podcast – Episode with Dr. Angela Duckworth
Book: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Published 2016 | Scribner
📚 Amazon.co.ukhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785040200/?tag=websitenote0f-21
🎧 Audible.frhttps://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Grit-Audiobook/B01E4L76K2?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp
Disclosure: affiliate link – if you buy through this, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Take the Grit Scale: angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale
