Grit

It first came to me in a fundraising request letter.  They had borrowed it from a study.  I then found someone else had blogged about it in his own way.  if I could find several sources within a few minutes, surely there is widespread repetition of the topic occurring.  To quote the old saying, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so here I jump on the imitation bandwagon, because it is a SmartGeorge lesson: GRIT.

From Angela Duckworth, “Grit: Perseverence and Passion for Long-Term Goals”:

“Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress.  The Gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina.  Nobody is talented enough to not to have to work hard, and that’s what grit allows you to do.”

So you’re 15, 16 years old.  What does “grit” mean to you?  Dictionary definition: “courage and resolve; strength of character.” Chances are, if you’re coming out of childhood, you aren’t likely to have had to practice extensive grit.  But you should make every effort to learn more about grit and how to make it part of your life.  How?  Well, read about it of course!  There are countless fascinating books that bear witness to success that comes from employing grit in life.  What first comes to mind is the story of the South American plane crash in the Andes mountains that stranded a rugby team high in the mountains with no rescue available.  Their survival, and subsequent escape, told in the well known book, “Alive”, is nothing if not an example of pure grit.  I had the pleasure of hearing the story directly from the leader of that escape (Nando Parado) a couple of months ago - truly stunning. It remains the greatest example of the capabilities of humans, under extreme duress, that I’ve yet heard or read.  This is just one of many stories that inspire and teach.  Read all you can.

From what discipline does grit emerge?  Sacrifice.  Heard of that before?!  I believe grit is the result of incrementalism around sacrifice.  For instance, the ability to put down the computer or video game in favor of a book (or extra homework!) every night is the beginning of the development of grit in pursuit of your goals in life.  One goal, one day at a time, incrementalism develops and will serve you well.  But it must be from YOU.  No one can give it to you.  Do it on your own, and you’ll succeed.

I found the Blog by “Study Hacks” on this topic to hit the nail on the head.  You can find it at:

http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/08/grit-grinds-and-living-the-low-stress-life/

"...maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus..."   Think about what that really means.  That's where success lies!

What does your handshake mean?

Back in the “Old Days”, contracts were less sophisticated and MUCH less numerous.  People did most of their business on a handshake, and their word was their bond.  Most of the commerce that took place in this country and around the world was done on a handshake.  Today, the loophole is king.  Attorneys and businesspeople actually seek out loopholes in contracts in order to break or avoid commitments outlined by the contracts.  Change of mind seems to be an acceptable reason for just about anything.  Today, the legal system is where our world turns for every kind of dispute imaginable, and the lawyers are the ones getting rich!

But there was a day when reputation and commitment meant something.  When people made promises, they kept their word.  Period.  Folks believed in honor, honesty, dependability, responsibility.  They suffered the ill effects of poor decisions quietly, chalking it up to experience and avoiding the same circumstances in the future.  No wailing and crying and placing of blame elsewhere, just acceptance of fault and movement forward.  I’m not sure what has happened, but we seem to have gotten weak as a country.  I have my suspicions as to why, but that’s a topic for another day.  What about your word?  Do you keep your promises?  Are you cautious about what you promise so as not to overreach?  Have you earned the respect of others regarding your commitments?  do you look for loopholes, or do you have broad shoulders to carry the burden of the mistakes and commitments you make?

Respect is a powerful asset.  Earn yours.  Make your word your bond.

Quick Primer on Electricity Use and Cost

The use of electrical current is all the buzz these days:  Electric/hybrid cars, solar and wind generation of electrical power and all the gadgetry requiring the use of electrical power.  But most of us still build up pretty sizable electrical bills to run the things in our house that we like. Refridgerators, air conditioners, washing machines, dish washers, TVs, lighting and all those little gadgets add up to a huge, and usually constant, drain of energy.  Here’s a quickie on how to understand, and then cut your use.

Electrical use is usually determined by kilowatt hours.  A kilowatt hour can be equated with running ten 100 watt bulbs for one hour.  today, most utilities charge by the kilowatt hour to the tune of roughly $.20.  Sounds cheap, right?  But remember your incrementalism.  When you start adding up all the appliances in your home, and how often they are on, cents turn into hundreds of dollars in a hurry.  And don’t forget, just because you turn an appliance off, it doesn’t mean it’s not drawing electricity.  TVs are typical abusers.  They always have to be ready for the remote control, which means they are always “on”.  Digital clocks on your stove and at your bedside, as well as all the gadgets you are continuously “charging” are all drawing continuous power, not to mention the major appliances that cost the most to run.

To control these costs, use power strips to plug TVs and stereos, etc. into, so that you can completely shut them down with one switch.  Use only full loads in the washer/dryer and dishwasher, or better yet, hand wash your dishes - you probably already do most of them by hand already!  Get a refridgerator thermometer for your fridge to be sure you’re not over-chilling or freezing, and wear an extra layer instead of turning the heat up.  These practices and other practices can add hundreds of dollars a year to your savings, and you know what that can add up to over many years of investment!

How will you retire?!

Financial Aid Tip...

Financial Aid Tip:

College isn’t getting any cheaper, or easier to get into.  But if you’re determined to overcome the challenges, here’s a tip you might find interesting if you still have a few years to go...

http://www.teenkidsnews.com/video/videos/138/student-financial-aid

Good Sense Still Alive...

Some rare people just seem to get it. In today's world (well, perhaps yesterday's), where success so often leads to excess, it is nice to see someone who has experienced phenomenal and quick success, but kept his proverbial feet on the ground.

Aaron Patzer, young founder of Mint.com, has sold his company to Intuit, maker of Quicken, for $170 million - and the company is only two years old!   Whether or not he as read "The Millionaire Next Door" (as I heartily recommend at SmartGeorge) I can't tell you.  But he is certainly behaving as though he has. This is evidenced by his comments to Donna Fenn at Inc. Magazine.  When asked, post-sale, if he is going to buy a new car, Mr. Patzer responded,  "I still drive a 1996 Ford Contour with 135,000 miles, and a 1994 Jaguar with 80,000 miles.  I have two because neither is particularly reliable.  I might get the third generation Prius, but certainly not a Lamborghini or Ferrari or anything."  Wow.  Uncommonly good sense.  Of course he does run a financial responsibility-based website, but I'm not sure that guarantees anything these days.  Cheers to Aaron.

What's it mean to "Man" up?

For a program that seeks to encourage maturity in young adults, we should be clear that there are PLENTY of adults that fail to demonstrate even basic maturity. Here’s a small example:

In today’s Globe, there is a piece on Patriots’ linebacker, Adalius Thomas. The Patriots have a simple rule: arrive to meetings and practices on time. Pretty reasonable, right? On a stormy winter day last week, several of the players arrived late to a meeting. Result? They were sent home. Thomas complained about the CONSEQUENCES (more on this another day), so as further penalty, he has been benched for today’s game. He complained that the weather kept him from arriving on time. The only thing is, sixty or so OTHER players were SOMEHOW (written with sarcasm) able to 1) watch the news (as details had been building about the storm for DAYS!), 2) understand the schedule challenges the storm might present, 3) draw the conclusion that PERHAPS they should allow extra time, and 4) do what it takes to be punctual! Evidently this was too complicated for Thomas. So how does he react? He complains about the storm and says, according to the Globe, “I wasn’t trying to be late. I don’t know what to say. You leave home, there are people there, cars sitting in the road, you’re sitting there, what are you gonna do? It’s not the Jetsons. I can’t jump up and fly. What am I supposed to do?” Is he serious?! Leave early, be a grown-up, and assume fault for tardiness. If he had just apologized and accepted blame, he’d be playing in today’s game posting more numbers for his legacy. Instead, he's sitting on the bench nursing a weak spine.

What would you do?