trying to do things they can't yet do, failing, and learning what they need to do differently is exactly the way that experts practice. - Angela Duckworth

To be gritty is to resist complacency.

In fact, he can't remember a single case in which the development of purpose unfolded without the earlier observation of a purposeful role model. "Ideally," he said, "the child really gets to see how difficult a life of purpose is — all the frustrations and the obstacles — but also how gratifying, ultimately, it can be."

Over time, we learn life lessons we don't forget, and we adapt in response to the growing demands of our circumstances. Eventually, new ways of thinking and acting become habitual. There comes a day when we can hardly remember our immature former selves. We've adapted, those adaptations have become durable, and, finally, our identity - the sort of person we see ourselves to be - has evolved. We've matured.