Main idea of the book
Grit = passion + perseverance for long-term goals.
Not intensity for a week. Not motivation on a good day. More like: can you keep showing up for the same thing for months or years, even when it gets boring, hard, or slow.
My 2 cents: grit is consistency, not perfection. Those are very different games. Consistency makes you better over time. Perfection usually just makes you anxious, stuck in a rut, and scared to do anything.
Just do it, dont think hard- we aren’t here for that long anyways.
My 80/20 takeaway
Talent matters, but consistent effort matters more than we want to admit. The people who get really good tend to:
- pick something they care about
- stick with it longer than others
- practice on purpose (not just “do the thing”)
- keep going after setbacks
That’s most of the book.
Core ideas (the stuff I actually want to remember)
1) Effort counts twice
This framing stuck with me:
- Talent helps you start.
- Effort builds skill.
- Effort turns skill into results.
So effort shows up in both places. It is not glamorous, but it is real.
2) Grit is long-term consistency, not hype
I used to confuse “being motivated” with “being serious.”
Grit looks more like:
- boring reps
- small improvements
- doing it even when you are not in the mood
- staying on the path when progress is not visible yet
3) Passion is not instant, it’s built
The book made me feel better about not having some magical calling.
Interest usually starts small, then grows through:
- getting a bit better
- learning more context
- building identity around it
- finding people doing similar work
So it is fine if passion is not fireworks on day one.
4) Practice should be deliberate
Not just time spent, but time spent stretching.
Deliberate practice (in my words):
- pick one sub-skill
- push slightly past comfort
- get feedback (even self-feedback)
- repeat
This is the difference between “I’ve been coding for years” and “I’ve improved a lot.”
5) Purpose makes the boring parts easier
When something connects to a bigger “why”, you tolerate the grind better.
For me, purpose is usually:
- helping a user
- building something reliable
- making future-me’s life easier
- contributing to a team I respect
6) Hope is a skill
Hope here is not vibes. It is more like: when I fail, do I interpret it as:
- “I’m bad at this” (stop) or
- “That attempt failed, adjust and try again” (continue)
How I’m trying to apply it
1) Pick one long game
I can’t be gritty about 10 things at once. But I also don’t think life is just one dimension. For me, it’s basically 4 pillars:
- relationship
- career
- health
- self
So instead of picking one theme for the entire year, I pick one theme per pillar. Everything else is maintenance.
Career
Theme: becoming a better backend engineer.
What that looks like for me:
- writing regularly (notes, small posts, documentation)
- reading fundamentals (systems, design, databases, operating systems)
- doing fewer “random” projects and more deliberate practice
Relationships
Theme: choosing people intentionally.
The last couple of years were more “internal work”:
- patience was my goal last year, achieved
This year’s focus is more outward:
- being more selective about who I let in
- investing in the relationships that feel steady and reciprocal
Health
Theme: consistency over intensity & perfection (Ive struggled with this one).
What I’m aiming for:
- exercising 30 to 40 minutes most days
- being more thoughtful about food
Food is tricky as a vegetarian because carbs are the default. I’m trying to:
- increase protein
- not obsess over carbs, just be intentional Everything else is maintenance.
2) Make progress visible
Grit dies when progress feels imaginary.
What I track (simple):
- Deliberate practice sessions/week (count)
- One visible output/week that proves something shipped
Examples: a blog post published, a few chapters actually finished, or an RDL done properly (not half-done in my head)
3) The “hard thing” or something which makes u go “🤯” rule (tiny but useful)
Have one thing in life that is hard or something “🤯” and you do it consistently.
Examples:
- one deep-work block daily
- one hard workout / concept weekly
- one focused learning session twice a week
The point is: build the identity of “I do hard things”.
4) Decide quit rules in advance
Sometimes quitting is smart. I just want to quit for the right reasons, not because today was annoying.
So I try to quit only if:
- the goal no longer matches my long-term priorities
- the cost is clearly not worth it
- I gave it a real trial (not two bad days)
TLDR
- Pick a long-term goal you actually want.
- Show up consistently, even when it’s boring.
- Practice deliberately, not just “more hours”.
- Track something small so progress feels real.
- Don’t quit on a bad day.