Welcome to your GRIT

What is Grit

Angela Duckworth, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and Behavioral Insights Team collaborator, describes grit as having two elements – passion and perseverance. Passion is defined not as the intensity of one’s interest, but rather as the consistency of that interest over very long periods of time – years, decades, or even a lifetime. Perseverance, on the other hand, relates to the tenacity with which we approach our goals – the ability to carry on through times of frustration, boredom, ambiguity, and pain. Grit is a personality trait that has been defined by Angela as passion and perseverance for long-term goals even in the face of adversity.

Angela’s work examines the predictive nature of grit in forecasting who will finish what they set out to do. For example, she finds that cadets at West Point who score more highly on the Grit scale are more likely to complete a grueling seven-week training program called “the Beast”, and grittier children are more likely to get to the final stages of the National Spelling Bee. More broadly, her research finds that grit foretells retention of sales employees, completion of high school, and remaining married (Duckworth et al, 2014).

INSTRUCTIONS:
Here are a number of statements that may or may not apply to you. There are no right or wrong answers, so just answer honestly, considering how you compare to most people. At the end, you’ll get a score that reflects how passionate and persevering you see yourself to be.

PLEASE NOTE:
Please try to complete the questionnaire all at once so that your results are captured and saved for your viewing.

1. 
New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.

2. 
Setbacks don’t discourage me. I don’t give up easily.

3. 
I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.

4. 
I am a hard worker.

5. 
I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete.

6. 
I finish whatever I begin.

7. 
My interests change from year to year.

8. 
I am diligent. I never give up.

9. 
I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.

10. 
I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge.

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