Grit plus a good setup: the path to getting things done

Grit gets a lot of credit, and it deserves it. But on a tired day grit runs out fast. What gets me through those days is a setup that makes the next step easy.

Grit

Psychologist Angela Duckworth describes grit as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Her research found that sticking with something often matters as much as talent.

The situation

Psychologist Kurt Lewin argued back in 1936 that behavior depends on both the person and their environment. He wrote it as a formula: behavior is a function of the person and the environment. Change the situation and the same person does very different things. I see it constantly. The same team that misses every deadline with a messy tracker hits them with a clear one.

Use both

Save grit for the long haul: the season, the project, the goal you care about. Let the setup carry the daily work.

• Make the next step obvious. Decide it ahead of time, so there's nothing to figure out when you sit down.
• Make the right thing easy. Keep the seed tray by the door. Keep the report template open.
• Make progress visible. A light that turns green or a harvest total that climbs is a reason to keep going.

Where tools fit

This is why I build tools the way I do. A This Week list removes the deciding. A coach column names the next fix. Status lights show progress at a glance. The setup does the work, so your grit doesn't have to.