The Power of Grit in Navigating Your Life’s Uncertainties

A few months ago, I was overwhelmed by all the academic pressures. I had to work on my internship report while also preparing for my final project, and my courses were becoming more demanding. There were moments where I would find myself stare blankly at my bedroom ceiling, my eyes would turn red, my cheeks wet, and my nose runny. My heart ached; my mouth cursed at the unfair world. I swore I was fine, but why did tears keep falling down my face? I felt that hot blood pumping through my brain. Then, I finally admit it like a warrior who had let her sword fall down to the solid ground. I was sad and really stressed out. In moments like this, perseverance plays an important role as it helps to overcome emotional struggles, find direction in life, and face the fear of the professional world.

Being a college student, young and naive, sometimes has brought me several life crisis. I always felt like I was not smart enough, and I always made mistakes in everything I did somehow, which only highlighted my incompetence. That is why it felt like a breath of fresh air every time I heard other people’s ambitions and passion. “They have everything figured out,” I thought to myself.

That feeling grew even stronger when I started thinking about my future. I had no clear idea of what career path I wanted to take. Instead of exploring my options, I spent most of my time worrying about things that were actually within my control I locked myself up in my personal prison called minds and continued flooding the cage with negative thoughts and self-doubt.

Things became even more overwhelming when I entered my final semester. The thought of stepping into the professional world terrified me. All my life, I had only known how to study, and I was not even good at it. Questions kept repeating in my head. What if I fail? What if I cannot support my family? What if I disappoint everyone who believes in me? I was so afraid of failure that I convinced myself I was not ready for anything.

Having to experience these surely took a toll on me. I felt really confused on why everything seemed to go sideways. The more I thought about; the deeper my self-esteem went down. I was sure I was the one responsible for everything that affected me negatively.

“We are our own demon,” and so they say.

At some point, it all became too much to handle on my own. Instead of keeping everything bottled up, I decided to talk to my closest friends that I truly trust. At first, it felt uncomfortable, but as I started to open up, I began to feel lighter. My problems were still there, but they no longer felt as heavy as before. I realized that sharing my thoughts helped me see things more clearly. However, I do believe that opening up should be done carefully. Not everyone will respond the way we expect, and some people might misunderstand or misuse what we share. That is why choosing the right person to talk to is very important.

During our conversation, one of my friends recommended me a TED Talk Talk by Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and a teacher, titled “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” on YouTube. She said that I might find solutions to my problems from the video.

In the video, Duckworth explained about grit, passion and perserverance for very long-term goals, and how important it is in achieving success. One part that really stood out to me was when she explained that her students who had higher levels of grit were more likely to graduate, not because they are more talented, but because they keep going despite challenges.

I became more interested in grit the more I watched the video. It turns out that a person does not need to be the most talented person in the room to achieve their goals. Duckworth mentioned that many talented people fail simply because they do not follow through on their commitments, which oddly gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling, almost like I was being pulled away from all the negative thoughts for a moment.

For the first time, I did not feel like I had to be the best at everything to succeed. All this time, I had no idea why I felt so insecure about myself. I was not the student who always got the highest grades, nor was I the one who actively stood out in class discussions. Sometimes, I even struggled to keep up with assignments and expectations. However, hearing what Duckworth said made me feel a little more at ease. I felt like a little spark had awoken in me.

Duckworth also emphasized the importance of mindset, highlighting the idea that “the ability to learn is not fixed.” This means that all the mistakes I have made along the way are not permanent but part of the learning process. With this perspective, failure is no longer something to fear, but something to learn from. This way of thinking is often referred to as a growth mindset. People with a growth mindset are not easily discouraged by setbacks. Instead, they continue to give their best effort to achieve what they truly want.

Her words flipped something in me. I tried to understand what they truly meant. Before learning about grit, I was too focused on solving everything at once instead of understanding my problems one by one. This what  made my academic pressures feel so overwhelming. Instead of breaking things down, I let them pile up in my mind. I was afraid of making mistakes, when in reality, mistakes are what help me grow. I stayed in my comfort zone because it felt safe. But then I asked myself, “How can I succeed if I never had the taste of failures? How do I know something is sweet if I never tasted something bitter?”

After reflecting on her message, I realized that I burned out because I saw all my problems as one big task. Instead, I started to break them down into smaller and more manageable steps.

For example, instead of worrying about my internship report, final project, and assignments at the same time, I began listing them one by one. I focused on finishing one task before moving on to the next. Every time I completed a task, even a small one, I felt a sense of relief and accomplishment. It showed me that progress does not have to be big to matter.

From that point on, I started to change how I dealt with my problems. Instead of overthinking and being afraid of everything, I allowed myself to fail and focused on learning from those failures. It was not easy, and I still struggle at times, but I kept reminding myself that growth takes time.

Grit is a powerful way to achieve your long-term goals. These goals are not something you can accomplish instantly. Feeling discouraged, sad, or burned out is completely normal. Doing well, as well as performing poorly on your first try, is also part of the process. Try to look on the bright side. If you fail in your attempts, it means you have more opportunities to try again, and you absolutely will fail again. However, keep in mind that those failures are the one that will bring you closer to your purpose because after all, failure is just a delayed success.

At the end of the day, success is not about being the smartest or the most talented person, but about how strong you are in facing and enduring challenges. Instead of being too fixated on the bad part, you can try to understand your emotions and work through them. In doing so, we begin to realize that what truly helps us move forward is not avoiding struggle but developing the perseverance to face it. You do not have to have everything figured out. You will get there eventually, one step at a time. And if it ever feels overwhelming, take a step back and return when you feel ready.