Okay, so today I wanna talk about something I’ve been messing with lately: Duckworth vs. well, everything else I’ve tried to use to stay focused. You know, sticking to goals, not getting distracted by the cat videos…the usual.
First, the backstory: I’m the kind of person who starts a million projects and finishes, like, two. It’s a PROBLEM. I’d hear people throw around the word “grit” and it sounded kinda…intense. But then I read Angela Duckworth’s book (the ‘Grit’ one), and it actually clicked. It wasn’t about being some super-human, it was about passion and perseverance. Sounded way better than my usual strategy of “hope for the best”.
So, I started experimenting. I wasn’t about to run a marathon or anything, but I picked a small, manageable goal: learning to code in Python. Seemed useful, and I could picture myself actually using it. The first thing I did was look at what I’d tried before, the stuff that didn’t work.
- Old Method 1: The To-Do List of Doom: I’d write down a list a mile long of things I needed to do, and then get overwhelmed and watch Netflix. I’d tell myself, “I’ll just watch one episode.” Famous last words.
- Old Method 2: The “Just Wing It” Approach: Basically, no plan at all. I’d open up a coding tutorial and then click on a link to a completely unrelated topic. Two hours later, I’d know everything about the history of the internet but still not know how to write a simple “hello world” program.
- Old Method 3: The Guilt Trip: Beat myself up for not being productive. Surprisingly, this didn’t motivate me. It just made me feel bad and less likely to try again.
Here’s how I’m trying to incorporate Duckworth’s “grit” stuff:
- Passion Part: I focused on why I wanted to learn Python. Not just “it’s good for my career”, but “I want to build cool little apps that automate boring tasks.” Finding that personal connection made it less of a chore.
- Perseverance Part: This is the hard part. I set a TINY goal: 30 minutes of coding every day. No excuses. Some days I only wrote two lines of code, but I still showed up. I used a simple timer on my phone.
- Finding a Community: I joined a beginner’s Python forum. Seeing other people struggle with the same problems made me feel less alone, and I even learned a few tricks.
- Tracking Progress (Kind Of): Instead of focusing on how far I hadn’t come, I made a note of the small wins. “Got that loop working!” “Finally understood dictionaries!” Celebrate the baby steps.
The Results So Far:
It’s not magic. I still have days where I’d rather do anything but code. But I’m actually sticking with it. I’ve built a simple script that organizes my messy downloads folder, which is a huge win for me. More importantly, I feel like I’m building a habit. It’s slow, but it’s progress. The key is to keep showing up, even when I don’t feel like it.
What I Learned:
Duckworth’s ideas aren’t a quick fix. They’re more like a long-term strategy. It’s about finding something you genuinely care about, breaking it down into manageable steps, and then just…not giving up. It’s simple, but damn hard to execute. I’m still working on it, but I’m definitely seeing a difference. Maybe I’ll actually finish one of those million projects someday.
Final Thoughts:
Forget the massive to-do lists and the endless guilt. Find something you enjoy, set realistic goals, and keep showing up. Even if it’s just for 30 minutes a day. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish. And hey, if you know any good Python tips, hit me up!
