For years, I’ve said that my favorite human characteristic is creativity. But right next to it, fueling every breakthrough I’ve ever had, is grit. It’s the engine that turns creative ideas into reality. It’s the stamina to push through the messy middle when the initial excitement wears off. So, when I had the chance to sit down with the world’s leading expert on the topic, I jumped. That expert is Angela Duckworth.
Angela is a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2013 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. She’s the brilliant mind behind the bestselling book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, a work that has had a huge impact on me personally. Her research focuses on the tangible, actionable traits that predict success. She is also the founder and CEO of Character Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing scientific insight that helps children thrive, and the co-host of the podcast No Stupid Questions, where she explores the oddities of human behavior.
Her work demystifies high achievement. Angela breaks down the illusion that excellence is a gift reserved for the talented few. Instead, she shows us that it’s the result of sustained passion and effort over time. It’s a message that every creator, artist, and entrepreneur needs to hear, because it puts the power to succeed directly back into our hands.
I was thrilled to welcome Angela as a guest on The Chase Jarvis LIVE Show on CreativeLive. We spent over an hour unpacking the concepts that have guided her research and inspired millions. It was one of those conversations where the insights come so fast you can barely keep up. We talked about how to find your passion, what separates world-class performers from everyone else, and the practical psychology of building a life you love. Her appearance was a masterclass in how to apply the principles of grit to a creative life and career.
Here are a few of the most powerful ideas from our conversation that you can start applying to your own work today.
Develop Your Passion, Don’t Just Discover It
We’re often told to “find our passion,” as if it’s a treasure we just need to stumble upon. Angela flips this idea on its head. She argues that passion isn’t found, it’s developed. It takes time and active engagement to grow an interest into a true passion. You can’t love something you know nothing about. As you gain expertise and see the nuances of a craft, your interest deepens into a calling. For those of us who feel pulled in a dozen different directions, this is liberating. The pressure isn’t on choosing the one perfect thing; it’s on starting the process of development.
- Sample widely, especially early on. Before you specialize, try a lot of different things. Angela points to studies showing that athletes who sampled numerous sports when they were younger often had more successful careers than those who specialized too early. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different creative outlets.
- Have “curiosity conversations.” You don’t have to commit to an internship to learn about a field. Talk to people who are doing work that interests you. As Angela mentioned, people love sharing their stories. Ask them what a day in their life is like, what they love, and what they hate.
- Prioritize action over intellect. You can’t figure out what you love from the couch. As I’ve said for years, you have to get out and do things. Angela puts it perfectly: if you want to know what a durian fruit tastes like, you have to taste it. Stop trying to make the perfect decision and start gathering real-world experience.
Escape the Plateau of “Good Enough”
Angela described three trajectories for skill development. One goes down as you quit and your skills decline. The second, the one we all aspire to, is a curve of continuous improvement. But the most common path, and perhaps the most tragic, is the plateau of arrested development. This is where you get pretty good at something—driving, cooking, even your own creative craft—and then you stop improving. You’re good enough, so you switch to autopilot. Living on this plateau is comfortable, but it keeps you from ever realizing your full potential.
- Practice deliberately. World-class performers don’t just put in the hours; they engage in what’s called deliberate practice. This is goal-oriented, 100% focused effort on the things that are just beyond your current ability. It’s often the least fun part of the work, but it’s where all the growth happens.
- Actively seek feedback. The ego hates feedback, but growth requires it. Angela practices what she preaches; she told me she would email me after our interview to ask for one thing she could have done better. Who are you asking for honest feedback? If the answer is no one, you’re likely on the plateau.
- Embrace the effort. Staying on the path of continuous improvement is hard. It requires you to stay conscious, to resist comfort, and to be willing to look foolish as you try new things. As Angela said, the plateau is like sitting on your couch watching Netflix. It’s easy, but it’s not the path to a meaningful, creative life.
Create an Aerodynamic Alignment of Goals
Borrowing a phrase from Will Smith, Angela talked about the importance of having an “aerodynamic alignment of goals.” This means your goals aren’t a random collection of desires but are organized into a coherent hierarchy. At the very top is your ultimate purpose, your “why.” Below that are the mid-level goals that serve that purpose, and at the bottom are the concrete, daily tasks on your to-do list. When these levels are in harmony, there’s no friction. You’re not fighting yourself. Your daily actions are infused with the meaning of your highest purpose.
- Define your ultimate goal. Take out a piece of paper and try to articulate your top-level purpose. What is the singular, guiding principle you want for your life and work? For Angela, it’s “use psychological science to help kids thrive.” Everything else flows from that.
- Map your goal hierarchy. Work your way down from your ultimate goal. If your purpose is X, what are the 2-3 big things you need to do to achieve it? And to achieve those, what projects do you need to complete this year? What do you need to do this week?
- Audit your time and money. A great way to check your alignment is to look at your calendar and your bank statements. Are you spending your time, energy, and resources on the things that serve your ultimate purpose? If there’s a mismatch, it’s time to realign.
Build a Growth Mindset
Our conversation circled back to the foundational work of Carol Dweck on mindset. A “fixed mindset” is the belief that your abilities are innate and unchangeable. A “growth mindset” is the belief that you can improve through effort and practice. Angela’s research shows that grit and a growth mindset are locked in a virtuous cycle: believing you can change leads you to put in the effort, and that effort builds your skills, which reinforces your belief that you can change. For any creator facing a blank page, a technical problem, or a business challenge, this mindset is non-negotiable.
- Understand that your brain is plastic. It’s a scientific fact that your brain is constantly changing and forming new connections. As Angela said, there is never a day in your life when your brain isn’t growing. When you make a mistake, it’s not a verdict on your talent; it’s your brain growing stronger.
- Focus on the process, not just the outcome. A fixed mindset is obsessed with looking smart and avoiding failure. A growth mindset is focused on the process of learning and stretching your abilities. Fall in love with the work itself, not just the potential praise at the end.
- Use the word “yet.” This is a simple but powerful tool from Carol Dweck’s work. Instead of saying, “I can’t figure this out,” say, “I haven’t figured this out yet.” It reframes the challenge from a permanent roadblock to a temporary state on the path to learning.
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