Grit in our work lives can be a good thing.
Sticking to things can offer us the time and space to solve an issue or adjust our attitude. In some cases, we find a resolution that really works. Then having grit really pays off.
I’m sure you can think of more than a few situations in your life or your work life, that were far from ideal. But you persevered — hoping for an acceptable outcome. Hoping to achieve the goal you set out to achieve.
Yet grit has it limitations.
If you look back on those times, what were the associated costs? Did we feel minimized in some way, or trapped or drained? There is often suffering in that mix. While you hover over the work life wound that could have been emerging, what was happening to the state of your psychological resources?
When you finally found your way out of that situation, were you less confident as you approached your next role? Less resilient? Less hopeful?
I think we have to be aware of the spent energy associated with grit.
Grit is important. But so is your heart.
These are the costs that are often ignored.
Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychology Practitioner who focuses on bringing core stability to our work lives. She is a charter member of the LinkedIn Top Voice Program. Her thoughts on work & life have appeared in various outlets including the Harvard Business Review, The World Economic Forum & the BBC.
Marla Gottschalk 