Whatever it takes

A couple of theories about how to achieve success in life came across my way this week. One was about what the psychologist Angela Duckworth named ‘The Grit’, which could be described as a mix of passion and perseverance, while the other one was Carol Dweck’s “The power of Yet”, a realization that some things are worth waiting for, and those things take work.

Even if they and their authors had been unknown to me so far, I, as many others might, find these hypotheses easily relatable to my own experience in life, especially with how I got to acquire my current position by passing a public test (five public tests indeed) some years ago.

The first time I thought of making a critical shift in my professional career was related to the arrival of my kids and some health problems my son had to deal with. I think that may have been the moment I started to design the change, although I did not quit my job until 4 years later. Once I found myself out of the sector, this time for good, I spent a couple of years preparing myself to succeed in the change I needed. There were times, I must recognize, I really got tired of trying, but then I thought (and still think today) that success is the price for those who never give up working. It was a hard change, there were no shortcuts, but independence really deserved the effort.

I guess that is the reason why I identified myself with these messages and am sure that the two of them are intertwined. To me, the final message is not to give up, fill the mixer with the right amount of both perseverance and resilience and never lose sight of your ultimate goal.

Whatever it takes.