Micro Class: How to Grow Your Grit

Hey, this is Brian with a quick note before we jump into today's show. If you haven't signed up for the Optymyze Premium membership yet, A, what are you waiting for? And B, you can now get the first 30 days of optimizing for free. Just cruise on over to Optimize Me and sign up. Over 10,000 people now start their days with Optymyze so they can actualize their potential, including best selling authors, leading entrepreneurs, and even NCAA championship teams. Two of them. So again, 30 days of free optimizing at Optimize Me. If you're already a member, thanks for your support. Now for the show, You're listening to Optimize with Bryan Johnson. More wisdom in less time. Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another micro class. This one's on Grow Grit, inspired by, you guessed it, Angela Duckworth's grit. How do we grow grit? That's the whole point, right? So we know that grit is a function of passion and perseverance, but how do you grow it? Well, Angela tells us there are four psychological assets that we want to build. And she says there are four common reasons people quit, which is the opposite of having grit. She says sometimes we say to ourselves, I'm bored, right? Or the effort isn't worth it, or maybe this isn't important to me. Or how about I can't do this so I might as well give up. Those four complaints. She says need to have these four psychological assets to combat them so you don't quit. Here they are. One interest. If you're feeling bored, you need to check in and say, do I really love what I'm doing? She says all the grit paragons she studied basically say, I love what I do. I don't kind of sort of like it. I certainly don't hate it. I love what I do. When you have that level of intense interest and passion, you don't tend to get bored. Second psychological asset to deal with. The effort isn't worth it. Oh man, the effort isn't worth it. I'm just going to quit. Well, the gritty among us have the asset, the psychological asset of practicing deliberately, right? They want to get better so they're not sitting there saying, oh, this is too hard. They realize with the growth mindset that it requires hard. You have to stretch out of your comfort zone. Boop. Get out of it. If you want to grow right, think of peak. Go check that out. If you haven't yet Anders Ericsson's work. You have to get out of your comfort zone. In Order to get better. Simple homeostatic response is how we develop our skills. That's how you deal with boredom. Then people may say, this just isn't important to me. I started it, but it's just not important to me. Well, the psychological asset that counters that is purpose. You've got a meaning that's bigger than you. All of the mature grit paragons that Angela studied say that what they do, yes, they love it. They absolutely love it. But that love is met with a love for other people as well. They love doing what they do, but they also love serving other people. Their work means something beyond just themselves. That purpose helps us navigate the this isn't important to me. Well, you know what? When you have a clear purpose and we all have a clear purpose, when we have a clear purpose, we are inspired and fired up by that. To move beyond that obstacle of this just isn't important. Well, you know, this is why it's important. Be clear on that. What is important? The meaning behind what you do. And then the final thing was, I can't do this, so I might as well give up. Well, that's hopelessness. You deal with that with hope and not the passive wishing, oh, wouldn't that be cool if my life got better. I hope I get lucky. But the rigorous resolute knowing that your life is going to improve not by luck, but because you're going to do what it takes to make it happen. Angela jokes that if she was gonna get a tattoo, it would be the Japanese saying, fall down seven times, rise eight, get up eight times, have that resolute commitment to making your life better and exerting that level of active, engaged hope, which is what we've talked about a ton of times. Check out making hope happen. You've got a brighter future. You know that. You have the agency to make it happen, and you're willing to take all these different pathways when you have that resolution, that hope and that purpose, and a willingness to practice to get better, and an absolute love for what you do. You've got the four psychological assets that help you grow. Grit. How are you strong? What are you really strong at here? And what needs work? Get clear. Go, rocket. Have an awesome day. Isn't it a bit odd? We went from math to science to history, but somehow missed the class on how to live? For some wacky reason, Optim Living 101 never made the schedule. Of course, it's too late to go back and change that and you're too busy to read full time to catch up yet if you're like us, you're all about optimizing your life and actualizing your potential. So imagine this. Imagine having someone read the best books on optimal living and pulling out the big ideas that can truly change your life. You know those sections you asterisks and underline and mark all up? Then imagine that guy me connecting those ideas to other great books and helping you apply them to your life today. Well, that's what I do is something we call Philosopher's Notes where I break down each great book into a simple 6 page PDF, 20 minute MP3 and 10 minute Philosopher's Notes TV episode. Then imagine me taking the absolute best big ideas from those great books and sharing them with you in fun, inspiring, super practical optimal living 101 classes on stuff like purpose 101 confidence 101 business 101 meditation 101, that sort of thing. You've got a personal trainer? I'm kind of like your personal philosopher. Ancient wisdom plus Modern Science plus Common Sense plus Virtue plus Mastery plus fun. That's what our optimized membership program is all about. We'd love to have you join us. Check us out at BrianJohnson. Me join.