I sometimes find grit (the convergence of passion and perseverance around a long-term meaningful goal) in unexpected places. Recently, I observed it in a young man by the name of Brady, who started drawing and never lifted his pen for a full 24 hours. This feat undoubtedly required a measure of grit. Initially, I wondered what inspired Brady to persevere for 24 hours at this task. Then, at 5:59 into the video came the answer. Check it out for yourself. You can see the highlights here.
Thinking about Brady, I made these observations that apply to our IndyGrit.Community:
Passion is the anchor that steadies us and holds us resolute when the excitement of an exhilarating start wears off. In the 24th hour of Brady’s marathon drawing session, he was physically spent but absolutely committed to finishing that last hour.
Your level of passion sets the boundaries in which your perseverance can operate. Brady was extraordinarily passionate about his long-term goal – enough so that he pushed through the fatigue and discomfort in the final hours to achieve his goal.
Goals can be nested within one another. Brady’s goal of drawing for a full 24 hours without lifting his pen was nested within another more compelling goal, revealed at the end of the video.
To some degree, the sweetness of success is in proportion to the grit required to achieve a goal. This is evident at the end of the video as Brady unfurls his 24-hour masterpiece.
Brady's story reminds me of two quotes that inspire me to be more gritty.
"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential." ~ John Maxwell
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." ~ Vidal Sassoon