Do you have grain?
What role does Grit play in your life?
After finishing a long scientific article picked up by the national media,
my mind begs the sub-vox question,
“What is the writer saying in plain English?”
If I leave the answer blank, the page is removed.
“A Penn researcher who studies high achievers says it’s not IQ, grades or leadership skills that lead to success. It’s good old persistence.”
The essence of the research is that success in everything has to do with ‘passion’,
(intense emotion), which is aroused through ‘grit’. A synonym for determination is courage or willpower, heart and perseverance.
And that?
The pro forma response should now list all the ‘positive’ emotions that produce
passion and courage, starting with love, joy and peace of mind.
Surprise! The intense emotions that trigger determination begin with anger, envy, fear, and jealousy. In fact, we are motivated ten to one by ‘negative emotions’ to create massive changes in our lives.
“That’s not fair! I deserved that promotion. I’m smarter than her. Look at that.”
New Mercedes in your driveway, son of a-… It should be mine. something has to
exchange! And the negative feedback killer motivator, “You can’t talk to me like that!”
University of Pennsylvania professor Angela Lee Duckworth says the secret
of value is ‘doggedly pursuing something for the long haul’. I’m sure you know
but since the typical American watches television for up to five hours a day, who has time to
guts and/or passion?
Left and right brain skills
What about the ‘ordinary people’, without exaggerated IQs, who create extraordinary
hits?
“Persistence and determination is the secret because we learn from our ‘mistakes’.
Working on a skill daily produces ‘Kaizen’, small improvements that
join massive reactions. We improve, little by little, until we own the skill.
or knowledge through practice”.
Why do they call it ‘trial and error’ and not ‘trial and success’?
Answer.
We learn through our mistakes and failures, not our successes because the secret is
negative feedback. Mistakes make us feel stupid and we get angry. The result is beating ourselves up to learn how to avoid these mental and emotional insults.
Once we have learned the successful strategy, we keep repeating it until it continues.
autopilot. That is called programming or conditioning, not learning. we learn by
obsess over our mistakes and rejections (negative feedback) and demand
a practical solution.
Successful people become compulsive about overcoming their ignorance in a particular area; negativity causes passion and determination. When you could spit nails out of frustration, another negative emotion, you are bound to win.
Determination and passion reinforced each other, activating our left and right brains at a ratio of 75%/25%, instead of the normal 90/10. Courage (grit), changes the structure and function of our brain, starting with our mood. interrupt
your comfort zone, and you will work 90 hours a week to pass the Bar exam
because your own image is at stake.
examples
Determination research on 1,223 West Point freshmen best predicted success
than IQ, SAT scores and past grades. This determination thing was a better predictor of winning than anything else for contestants in a National Spelling Bee, and kids in
an elite preparatory school. It applies to them, and to all of us.
Until you get mad, excite your brain’s amygdala, you and I will look for distractions and refuse to spend time winning the marbles. If you are not passionate about something in a negative way, it is an impossible dream, not a reality.
final words
Professor Duckworth has the nerve to say: determination is more important than intelligence.
Grit (heart), trains us to overcome obstacles. She is working on how
train people to have this gritty skill.
The reason guts and passion are in short supply is not the availability of television, the Internet, and video games. It is boredom that covers us like a wet blanket in a
storm every time we decide that what we are reading, watching and listening to is not linked
For our benefit. Remember the powerful question: WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)?
Our ego has this WIIFM sign nailed to the screen of our imagination. There’s a
disconnect immediately as soon as the answer is ‘Nothing!’
Courage and passion keep us focused on discovering the details of any new idea or insight that is in sync with our deepest needs and desires.
Convince us that we can benefit from what you have to say, and we are all glued to
the chair in a trance Professor Abraham Maslow said, ‘Self-interest puts us
in the flow, in the zone, and produces a peak experience.’
All it takes is guts to answer WIIFM, with “A lot!”
A. Einstein said: “None of my discoveries came from logical thinking. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Edward Lorenz at MIT, created The Butterfly Effect, and its principle,
“Small changes lead to massive reactions. Predictability: Does the flipper
from the wings of a butterfly in Brazil, caused a tornado in Texas?”
Finally
Can you answer these two questions?
1. What was the last thing that made you obsessive and compulsive?
2. What does it take to spark your determination and passion?
Our system for training people to have value is not to talk ad nauseam, but to offer
Specific skills to deal with boredom and normal distractions.
We call them BIS(TM) Behavioral Intelligence Strategies, two minute power programs
to condition your mind for determination and passion.
You will recognize them by the six steps to practice. it’s always your decision
if you learn these techniques.
Do you have to lose your income (downsizing, outsourcing, merger or bankruptcy) before you get angry enough to decide to change your destiny?
My friend’s mom from San Antonio used to say, “A little grits goes a long way.”
Be brave and win your personal game.
See you,
copyright ©
H. Bernard Wechsler
www.speedlearning.org
About The Author
