https://www.viacharacter.org/www/
Grit needs: humility, determination, persistence, self-control, and optimism.
Grit--contagious when we're around people who have grit
top strengths can be used to pursue goals to maximize our chances of getting good enough that we don't stop
Self regulation--new research shows we can cultivate willpower: mindfulness practices, working with virtual avatars
It's easier to learn something new when we watch others do it
Prompts/cues can makes us more disciplines or lax
If/then contracts triple your chances of accomplishing tough goals
Other things that contribute to grit:
--quality of relationship skills
--prevalence of positive emotions in our lives
--storehouse of willpower
Grit Ingredients:
Passion--so that you persist when times are hard
Happiness--we succeed because we were happy first
P --positive emotions
E --engagement
R --relationships
M--Meaning
A --Achievement
Wise interventions that can increase positive well being:
Use strengths
Gratitude
Journaling
Spirituality (believing that yours is the only right way=more stress/negative emotions, using your faith as a coping tool without judging other spiritual doctrines, is linked to greater well-being)
Coaching
Hope
Exercise
Altruism
Meditation--rewires the brain in positive ways, esp loving-kindness meditation
Happiness helps--Happify.com, Greater Good Science Center, (greatergood.berkeley.edu
Goals--
- direct attention (cognitively and behaviorally)
- energize people (difficult goals are more energizing than easy goals)
- impact persistence (esp hard goals because they prolong effort)
- lead to discovery of our skills
Self-efficacy: believing that you have what it takes to accomplish the goals in front of you
- have good stress responses (meditation, exercise, humor, reframing, relatonships)
- have a role model who has accomplished what you want
- have a significant other who has faith in your abilities
- accomplish smaller goals along the way
- listen to inspiring messages
Goal setting:
- Learning goals--don't know information that will be needed to succeed
- Performance goals
Build in accountability
Write down goals
Ways to set better goals:
- Makes a bucket list of goals, including those you have already accomplished
- If you feel stuck try the 5 Whys--ask WHY is this happening and drill down until you have 5 whys.
- Schedule future reminders, or future emails (use futureme.org)
- think about daily goals and how they fit into longer term plans
Encourage risk taking
- Ask Why not instead of Why
- start with small risks
- don't share your goals with negative people
Humility:
- social humility --honesty, thoughtfulness, maturity, and unselfishess
- intellectual humility--curiosity, willingness to learn from others, openness to new ideas
Procrastination
- don't even let it start
- implementation intentions-- if/then "when I put on my shoes I will leave within 5 min"
- set a timer to only work for a set number of minutes--to get over the hassle of starting
- make it harder to delay
- look into the future and imagine yourself having completed the goal, how will it feel?
Use good words/mantras/slogans
Act "As if"
Optimize the day: competent and energized at start of day, declining after noon
Alcohol--the #1 deterrent to achieving goals because it reduces barriers to self destructive behaviors
At dinner--list 3 hard things you did that day
