Nº153 Fake it ’til you make it or grit it ’til you get it? 🙃 😣

I’m no advocate of faking it. (Who really is?) Typically, I’d wager its nearly always better to be clear that you’re not sure how to do something but you’re gonna do your damnedest.

And a track record of doing your damnedest pays off in accumulated skill, achievement and the ever elusive: street cred ; )

Giving it all you’ve got down to the last shot means you improve with each try & know you’ll certainly miss the ones you let slip by. That kind of tenacity is what really sets people and teams of people apart.

I read Angela Duckworth’s book about Grit last summer and it nails this notion. I recommend the book and also this quick video recap. For context, here is Angela’s basic formula:

talent x effort = skill

skill x effort = achievement

Grit, the sustained application of effort towards a long term goal, is the biggest predictor of lifelong achievement. Wonder how gritty you are? See where you sit on this scale of grit.

So, perhaps the next time you consider the mantra”fake it ’til you make it”, instead, hunker down & grit it ’til you get it!

As always, thank you for reading,

Jon

p.s. Tomorrow I’m rolling out around 9am or so for a likely soggy ride south to Breda where I’m joining my friend Bas on stage a Kamu to talk about the Silk Road Mountain race once again. Stop by…