If so, that’s a good thing! Recently, I heard a discussion on grit as it pertains to children and our school systems. As a noun, grit implies courage, resolve, and strength of character. Synonyms include determination, moral fiber, tenacity, spirit, and endurance. Yes, we want our children to have grit but as small business owners we must have grit as well. We also want to surround ourselves with employees and co-workers who have these traits.
Having determination and resolve is not only good for business it’s good for our personal and family lives as well. Recently, it’s been suggested that having a gritty personality is more important than intelligence in attaining high achievement and success. Some individuals are fortunate enough to have the natural ability to bounce back and preserve but many of us need to practice and nurture these skills.
After doing a Google search and sorting through the results of health benefits of grits vs oatmeal, I found some ways for adults to practice grit. HealthPartners is a nonprofit health system that teaches emotional resilience training to their staff. Here are some of their recommendations:
1) Eliminate negative self-talk. Talking down to yourself does nothing to develop grit. When you notice negative self-talk, stop immediately! Replace it with something positive and useful.
2) Find a peaceful place. Either physically or emotionally, go somewhere peaceful. Get away from the phone ringing, emails, and any other general workplace businesses.
3) Get a positive attitude. This is often easier in theory than in practice but give it a good try! If nothing else, be positive in your interactions with other people, even if you don’t feel positive convey a demeanor and body language of a good attitude.
4) Make friends. Try having lunch or walk with a co-worker and try to develop friendships. This helps with work satisfaction.
5) Be grateful! Write down three things you’re grateful for daily. This is a great exercise to help remember that there’s still good in the world and all is not lost no matter how unpleasant the situation you’re in.
As you’re practicing these exercises, remember to work on them a little bit each day. Some days may be more difficult than others but give yourself a break and keep trying. We should all strive for gritty personalities- good luck!
Sincerely,
Jordan Ilderton, CPA
