For me, inspiration can come from anywhere. I love nothing more than listening to a song, reading an article, or watching a video that inspires me, motivates me, or just gets me really hyped up. Well, a recent article I read in Psychology Today did just that.
The article was titled “The Winning Edge” and talked about how passion and perseverance may be more important to success than mere talent. In a world of instant gratification, grit may yield the biggest payoff of all.
The article tells the story of Princeton University’s, Andrew Wiles quest to complete one of the most extraordinary odysseys in the history of math. Wiles spent over three decades obsessing over Fermat’s Last Theorem, a seemingly simple problem that had stumped mathematicians for over 350 years. Well, in 1993, after seven straight years of intense work, more than 15,000 hours, Wiles calmly stepped up to the podium at a conference in England and over the course of three lectures presented his completed proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem.
Wiles intellect is undeniable, however the Princeton professor attributes his incredible accomplishment not to his brains, but to his persistence. Think about that…one of the world’s brightest minds completes one of the most complex theorems and he attributes his success to his persistence and grit.
It turns out, that a mere 25% of the differences in job performance and only a third of the difference in grade point average can be attributed to IQ. The remaining 75% comes down to personality traits such as tenacity and grit.
That means that you have almost complete control over how successful you become. It comes down to grit, to how badly you want it. In business and in life, the harder you work the more time you put into something, the more successful you’ll become in the long-run.
Personally, I’m determined to work harder than anyone else and pour so much sweat equity into building a company and legacy that I love and can be proud of.
What inspires you to pursue your passion every day?
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