GRIT AND THE POWER TO JUST DO IT

What I think you see in Erinn’s description is less about how they made it work and more about the strength of their ‘will power’ muscle to just get it all done. Recent studies about characteristics of success have focused on one personality aspect that plays an essential role: Grit.

Grit is the power of passion and perseverance to make good on your commitments. How did Keeth and Erinn build this sense of Grit? Some of it evolves from upbringing. They recall that their parents instilled the importance of work ethic early on, underscored by their father’s experience in the military. However, at the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide just how committed you are. And when times get tough, the one thing that is extremely powerful in maintaining your commitments is understanding precisely WHY you do what you do. When everything is in service of a bigger goal, making the hard choices about how you spend your time becomes a habit and easier over time.



GETTING PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM – PRE-COMMUNICATE YOUR COMMITMENTS

For most young fencers, doing well in school is their primary commitment. They often think about their teachers and academic life as completely separate from their fencing life. However, it’s important to understand that your teachers are an essential part of your team, which includes your coach, parents and many others. They can help position you to succeed and having them on your side when you struggle is critical. But in order to enlist them to your team, you must pre-communicate what you are trying to achieve in both school and sport. You might even consider using language such as, “Mr. X, I have some important goals I want to achieve, and you are an essential part of my team. I would really appreciate your help and support.” When you take this approach, you help them feel invested in your mission(s). If you wait until you have a problem and then say, “By the way, I can’t turn in my paper on Friday because I have a fencing competition,” you are much less likely to earn their sympathy. Be proactive so you can give them a chance to be flexible when you need to take tests late or some extra help with material that you missed while away competing.

