Of his early attempts at writing, Irving has said, "Most of all, I rewrote everything . . . I began to take my lack of talent seriously. - Angela Duckworth

The most important were challenges that exceeded current skills.

Staying on the treadmill is one thing, and I do think it's related to staying true to our commitments even when we're not comfortable. But getting back on the treadmill the next day, eager to try again, is in my view even more reflective of grit. Because when you don't come back the next day — when you permanently turn your back on a commitment — your effort plummets to zero. As a consequence, your skills stop improving, and at the same time, you stop producing anything with whatever skills you have.

as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.