The Secret Sauce for Every Successful Student

The Secret Sauce for Every Successful Student

It’s time you and I had a chat. Think of the most successful person you know. It’s okay, take a second and really think. Now ask yourself, “Why is that person so successful?” Is it because they are super smart? Or perhaps because they are amazingly talented? Maybe they were lucky enough to get into a great school or land a great job. If your answer sounded anything like one of those statements, you’re wrong.

If you know someone who is successful, then there is a 99.9% chance that they have the “Secret Sauce” for academic success: GRIT But what is grit, and how do I know I have enough of it? To answer that question, let’s talk about alligators. An alligator can outrun a horse for the first thirty feet of a race. The horse is much faster over long distances, but alligators are crazy-fast sprinters.

Most students are like alligators. They can work hard for a little while for what they want, but lack the stamina to consistently work hard toward their academic goals.Students that have grit, though, those are horses. Grit is perseverance and passion for very long-term goals. Having grit means having stamina week after week, month after month, year after year. A person with grit realizes that hard work today, and every day, means achieving goals tomorrow.

Alligators love shortcuts. Horses, however, know that shortcuts don’t exist. But maybe you knew that. Maybe you knew that there is no substitute for hard work, that putting in the effort is the only way to the top. But maybe you also believe in talent. You see, in society we tend to worship talent, portraying it as a gift distributed unevenly and unfairly across humanity. Can I let you in on a secret? The world is FULL of talented individuals who do not follow through on their commitments, almost as full as it is of people who would rather pout about not winning the mythological genetic lottery we call “talent” than accept the fact that they need to change their mindset and work ethic.

Because there is only one real talent. Only one, and it’s grit. If you have it, it is all you need; if you do not have it, you can’t succeed no matter how skilled or special you are. Grit is a growth mindset. Grit says that failure is not a permanent condition and that ability can change with effort.

Let’s put this into practice right now. Think of a major goal you have. Maybe it’s getting into a great college, getting a great SAT or AP score, or maybe it’s even becoming a member of a prestigious profession like being a doctor or lawyer. What are you doing about that goal? What is your thought process? For many of us, it’s “I hope I have a good teacher for that class.” “Am I smart enough?” or “Maybe I’ll get lucky.”

Good teachers, a sharp mind, and a little luck are helpful! But here are some of the questions our brains tend to skip: “How can I become the kind of person that that school would be interested in?” “What kind of effort will I need to put in outside of the class’ coursework?” “What do I need to change about myself in order to perform at a higher level?"

The human mind is an amazing, majestic super-organ filled with elaborate synapses and complex neural networks, and you will never see one spring into action for beautifully, more ceremoniously, than when it encounters evidence that it needs to change. Your innermost self is equipped with layer upon layer of defense mechanisms designed to shoot down anything that might keep things from staying exactly as they are. Maybe you’ve taught yourself to interpret any criticism as an insult. Maybe you find a way to blame your teacher for your lower grade. Maybe you pretend that any real attempt at self-improvement would somehow be a selling-out of your true self. Reality check: failure is comfortable. It’s comfortable, and it’s easy, and that’s why so many people prefer it. Academic success, and even success in the professional world beyond the classroom, takes effort. It requires you to change things about yourself and accept responsibility.

Taking that step to accept responsibility for your own success and happiness, THAT is grit.  So, how do you know if you have grit or not? Easy—grit produces success in the face of challenge. Today, are you being challenged?If so, what kind of success are you seeing?