Grit

Although I found the evidence Angela Duckworth puts forth in her book compelling and her commentary inspiring, I felt this book could be summed up in a single chapter without losing all that much depth. In summary, Dr. Duckworth asserts that grit is a learned trait which can be augmented throughout one's life through deliberate practice, unwavering perseverance, strategic goal setting, and aligning oneself with people and organizations that exemplify and incentivize gritty behavior.

If you find yourself lacking a defined direction in life or perhaps pursuing TOO many different directions in life, this book will definitely help clarify and realign your priorities. Overall, the book serves as a nice introduction to the concept of grit and puts forth a number of actionable ideas for cultivating grittiness in not only yourself, but also within people you interact with, whether they be your own kids or members of your organization.

Here's some major takeaways:
- Identify your top-level, long-term goals – try out many different things, pursue only those things that truly interest you, and stick with them
- Align yourself with individuals and organizations who will push and inspire you to achieve those goals.
- Engage in regular, deliberate practice, measure your progress, and conciously seek to improve
- Continually push through challenges despite how difficult they may be (certainly easier said than done)