6-3 Discussion: Grit and Growth
Watch the SNHU leader video on grit below:
It is often the things that present the biggest challenges to us that end up being those we are most proud of as we reflect on them later. Why? Because hard work and perseverance often reveal to us things we did not know about ourselves at the start. They show us new limits we can reach, expose skills we did not know we possess, and push us to grow in ways we did not anticipate. We have all experienced challenges in our lives at some point. As we move forward both as students and career-path professionals, and even in our personal lives, we are certain to experience additional challenges. While many try to avoid challenges, they are in fact things that help us grow and prepare for new opportunities and success down the road. As Amy Stevens says, challenges and grit provide us with the skills necessary to “reinvent” ourselves in order to meet the needs of our ever-changing environments. For students and career-path professionals, this is an essential quality for success.
Taking into consideration the video on grit, the textbook readings for this week, and the information above, work to address the following:
1. Share a time when you experienced a challenge and overcame it. This can be large goals you set for yourself (health and fitness, home improvements, personal goals, etc.), obstacles you overcame, or even a big project you had to complete at home or at work. How did you feel when you completed your task or succeeded in achieving your goal? What did that experience teach you about yourself: What did you learn?
2. As referenced in the text, balancing complex schedules is a challenge many of us face every day in work and at school. What are some strategies from the text that you can use to help yourself continue to succeed in overcoming challenges and taking ownership of your success while staying focused on learning and growth?
3. Paul LeBlanc, Amelia Manning, Greg Fowler, and Amy Stevens all had things to share about grit. What is one takeaway that resonated with you as a student and career-path professional? Explain.
