Building Grit and Discipline: The Key to Achieving Success
Even the most talented people, with the greatest potential, can fall short if they’re not willing to put in the work. One of the most important life skills is building grit and discipline to keep going, even when the road gets tough. In this post, we’ll explore how to build resilience, stay disciplined, and embrace the challenge of "rowing upstream" to achieve your goals.
If you've been following our Launch Well series, either through the Uncommon Freedom Podcast, reading the blogs, or both, we hope you're among the 30% of people who haven’t given up on their goals for 2023. Research shows that 7 out of 10 people quit on their New Year’s resolutions by the end of January. Instead of diving into all the reasons behind this phenomenon, let’s focus on one of the biggest factors that leads to failure: discipline.
When Do You Lose Discipline?
Discipline is crucial when it comes to reaching your goals. Defined as the practice or regimen that helps develop a skill or habit, discipline is the adult version of "practice makes perfect." But as we all know, discipline is easier said than done. Understanding when and why you lose your discipline is a critical part of staying on track.
For us, a lack of discipline often shows up when we’re tired, stressed, or overwhelmed by family responsibilities. It’s easy to let go of the healthy habits we’ve developed—habits that support our mental, physical, and relational well-being—when we’re not feeling our best. These small slips can quickly snowball, making it harder to maintain good habits in the long run.
HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) is a helpful acronym to identify when you're most likely to lose discipline. These four states are common triggers that lead people to abandon their goals.
How to Avoid Losing Discipline
The key to maintaining discipline is awareness. When you recognize when you're hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, you can take proactive steps to counteract these feelings and make better decisions.
Rather than beating yourself up for losing discipline, focus on finding healthy solutions to address what you're experiencing. If you’re hungry, eat a nourishing snack. If you’re lonely, reach out to a friend or family member. If you’re tired, prioritize rest. The idea is to support your goals by responding in ways that help you stay focused and energized, rather than undermining your progress.
The Equation for Success: Talent + Grit = Achievement
In the book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, author Angela Duckworth explains the equation for success:
Talent x Effort = Skill
Skill x Effort = Achievement
(Talent x Effort) x Effort = Achievement
The formula shows that while talent is important, effort is the key factor that leads to skill and, ultimately, success. Effort, more than talent, is what drives you to achieve your goals. This is where grit—the ability to persevere through challenges—comes into play. Even the most talented individuals wouldn’t succeed without the hard work, determination, and discipline to keep going.
How Your Priorities Impact Your Effort
A key point we’ve discussed in the Launch Well series is how your priorities affect where you invest your time and effort. If something isn’t truly important to you, your discipline will falter, and healthy habits that support your goals will be the first to go.
It’s essential to avoid spreading yourself too thin. Instead, focus on what matters most and direct your energy toward those goals. One helpful tool for tracking your habits and staying aligned with your priorities can be found right here.
In a recent episode of the Uncommon Freedom Podcast, we discuss questions to ask yourself when identifying your true purpose. When you align your efforts with your passions and talents, your chances of success increase because you’re more likely to stay committed to the process.
Rowing Upstream: Are You Ready to Take Action?
We often use the analogy of rowing upstream to describe the challenge of choosing a path that’s different from the mainstream. While most people drift downstream with little effort, achieving true success—whether in health, finances, relationships, or faith—requires hard work. The journey to Uncommon Freedom means rowing against the current.
This is where grit and discipline come in. Are you willing to put in the hard work to achieve your most meaningful goals, even when the going gets tough? Success is never handed to us; it’s earned through consistent effort and the ability to keep moving forward, even when the world around you makes it easy to give up.
Can You Identify Areas in Your Life Where You’re Willing to Apply Grit?
Are you ready to row upstream in your life? Tell us about the areas where you’re willing to apply more effort, show grit, and pursue your goals, no matter how challenging. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!