As Jay sent out a twitter a couple of days ago, I could not keep myself from asking for a copy of his new book. In beta-release of course (version 0.8 when I got it). The book offers insight into learning, and more specifically increasing learning efficiency to a point of a long-lasting AHA-moment, hence the title: "AHA! 75 ways to work smarter".
The book only costs 2.99 dollars and you get your moneys worth. I am only 75 pages in and I already marked several passages to reflect, act upon, and use later on in my own contexts. One of the actions Jay refers to is writing daily. Short passages (15 min is enough), reflecting on your day, but on a daily basis (something my mom has been doing for over 20 years or more, talking about a role model!). A proven action to increase your mental health, while also adding to your focus, patience, planning and personal growth (research by Teresa Amabile , nice name). Jay calls it: writing a Plog - or progress blog. Plog will be my label or meta-tag for those posts. I will add them to my 'I am going to figure out where to go next' set of writings as well, making them easy to retrieve later on. But for now, my first plog is on: discovering my Grit.
My Grit Scale: 4.13
This research study into Grit consists of only 12 questions you can take voluntarily to calculate your true 'grit'. Grit (paper here) is defined as "perseverance 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".
And apparently your own Gritty nature relates to evolution's in your future income, but also - and to me important - all-round happiness. It seems I am part of the happy one's and that in it's own makes me ... happy. To be honest, my score was higher then I had expected, as I can be lazy at times... just plain lazy. But apparently setting your teeth into something counts for a lot. (conversation with mom: "I really filled in the survey according to the truth - honestly mom!", "then why aren't you making more money?", "...Because I am more the happy gritty person, then the money greedy person", she looks at me and pats me on the back "well, that's alright then, well done").
So upward and onward! Now that I learned this bit about myself, I will go back to proceed with my thesis... hey, I have a grit score... I can and will do it, now I am sure!
