2020 is upon us, and as the calendar strikes January 1st, and we ring in the New Year, I encourage you to resolve to be gritty in 2020. 

What is grit? Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal, and to me, the most important attribute any individual can possess. Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of the book Grit, has determined that this sole characteristic is why some people succeed and some fail, and frankly – I couldn’t agree more. 

Studies will tell you that specific grades and schools are not indicators of success, and for good reason: we are not all created equal. John Wooden said it best in his Ted Talk: The Difference between Winning and Succeeding. 

“The good Lord in his infinite wisdom didn’t create us all equal as far as intelligence is concerned, any more than we’re equal for size, appearance.”

Yet, from the time a child is brought into this world, he or she is thrust into a competition of good, better, best all the while forgetting that walking early on, or attending a specific preschool doesn’t guarantee that child will succeed in life. 

Over the last 18 years at Medix, nothing has rung more true than we’ve impacted, hired, and worked with individuals from all walks of life. We’ve hired A students, C students, Big 10 school alumni, small liberal arts college graduates, and teammates from practically every state in the US. At the end of the day, their grit and perseverance to overcome adversity is always what fuels their success.   

The world puts a lot of stock in status. Schools, titles, grades, wealth – the list goes on and on.  But what are we really teaching? As parents, teachers, coaches and business leaders we should start teaching our youth about grit. The power to persevere despite the obstacle. The commitment to never give up, despite the odds because nothing worth having in life ever comes easy.  

So with only a few days until the New Year, and a laundry list of goals to accomplish, resolve to be gritty in 2020. Work hard, collaborate with others, ask questions, beat the odds, and be the best version of you that you can be so that you can prevail in spite of whatever journey you faced along the way. With the power of passion and perseverance, 2020 will be your most successful year yet.