Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Grit is the combination of passion and perseverance over long time periods. It’s staying committed to what you do over stretches of time. For young people, that stretch of time might be a month; for adults, it might mean multiple years.

My book Grit summarized everything I learned as a scientist who studies high achievers, as somebody who’s trying to help others grow, and as a former teacher and as a mom who’s trying to raise two girls to be happy and healthy. I tried to make the science accessible. Before I began writing, I read through a big stack of science non-fiction bestsellers. A lot of them were written by men in a very polished, journalistic style—good writing, but it just wasn’t me. I like reading memoirs, so I tried to write a book in my voice.

Character Development