To be gritty is to resist complacency. - Angela Duckworth

what we accomplish in the marathon of life depends tremendously on our grit — our passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

A girl who is told repeatedly that she's no genius ends up winning an award for being one.

The first is that everyone — including Mom and Dad — has to do a hard thing. A hard thing is something that requires daily deliberate practice. I've told my kids that psychological research is my hard thing, but I also practice yoga. Dad tries to get better and better at being a real estate developer; he does the same with running. My oldest daughter, Amanda, has chosen playing the piano as her hard thing. She did ballet for years, but later quit. So did Lucy.