In April our Quest 79 monthly event was all about ‘Grit for Growth’. Buddhism adopts the stance that struggle is inevitable, and certainly it is often through struggle that we grow and evolve. Willingness to put in the hard work – the daily grit and grind – is the most common route to success. Work hard so you can play hard or rest hard later. Eventually the grind pays off, though it may be months or years down the line.
To move through the struggles we require some level of grit. Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of progressing and overcoming destructive emotions (frustration, procrastination, berating ourselves for it etc…). That all sounds very stoical!
The essence of Quest 79 and beginning a challenge requires keeping going, day after day, towards a vision or goal. But we are convinced that we can transcend the struggle. And with an experimental and curious mindset, it doesn’t need to be as hard as we may think!
If we see the idea of needing GRIT as an opportunity for GROWTH, then it could be a fun adventure instead of a grinding struggle. Why not try:-
(1) Showing up as the best version of yourself despite not feeling like it.
(2) Thought flexibility: change and re-frame our thoughts to seek the learning and growth that we are likely to be gaining by committing to putting in the regular effort.
(3) Persevering: remembering that change and results can take time, that change is often exponential so we see little for a long time.
(4) Mastering our fear (perhaps of failure, exposure, etc.)
(5) Kindness to ourselves for trying and persevering, and to others that may be supporting or helping our journey.
If you haven’t joined us yet on our monthly Zoom event, what are you waiting for! Just pop your name on our mailing list and we’ll send you the link via our monthly newsletter.
