A few weeks ago, I posted that I was on a quest to discover my #OneWord for the new year. I believe that God uncovered my one word for 2021.

Grit = “firmness of mind or spirit, unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger (Merriam-Webster),” or “courage and resolve, strength of character (Dictionary Online).” In regards to personality traits, grit is “perseverance of effort with a passion for the end in mind (Wikipedia).” Psychologist Angela Duckworth defined grit as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.”

In her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth describes grit,

“…there are no shortcuts to excellence. Developing real expertise, figuring out really hard problems, it all takes time―longer than most people imagine….you’ve got to apply those skills and produce goods or services that are valuable to people….Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you’re willing to stay loyal to it…it’s doing what you love, but not just falling in love―staying in love.”

Duckworth, Angela. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Narrated by Angela Duckworth, AudiobooksNow, 2016. Audiobook

My pastor Nick Cleveland gave a sermon earlier this month about perseverance on Sunday, January 10, 2021 at Grace Church in Wooster, Ohio. He challenged every one who was listening to persevere even amidst the most difficult circumstances. He asked, “Do you feel like giving up when faced with trials?” His remedy was grit. He mentioned the book by Angela Duckworth. He gave me a hint toward my quest for my One Word.

So my quest continued.

I recalled that Jon Gordon had offered an Action Plan to discover your One Word. So I share that link with you. It’s never too late to discover your One Word for the year. As soon as you find your One Word, you get to have that word guide you for the next year, whether you find your One Word in January or in June. followed the outline from Jon Gordon.

My One Word last year for 2020 was ASCEND. Little did I know that I would need to ASCEND to greater heights to deal with the worldwide pandemic and its global aftermath. I found my One Word helped me soar amid the negative, doomsday media posts and the fear-filled resignation of many people. I chose to ASCEND rather than descend into depression and fear. By faith, I moved forward knowing that I could ASCEND above the chaos with positive focus and good thoughts. With prayer and a personal faith in God, I keep the my One Word as a touchstone into the new year.

So using the action plan, I jotted down my notes. I offer my notes on my quest here. It took me a few days, then a couple of weeks to clarify my One Word. Last year, it was over a weekend. But this year, I traverse many days in search of my One Word. As things came to mind, I added it to my list.

Grit found me. As I contemplated, grit, GRIT resonated with me. Once you find your One Word, next you share it with your family and your accountability group. You can post it online with the hashtag #oneword. But before I posted my One Word, I wanted to find an image for reference. I found on the USGA–The United States Golf Association–an image of grains of sand from a sand trap.

This post is part of the action plan to share widely and enthusiastically my One Word. I trust that you will consider joining me to Get Your One Word. So I challenge you to take the One Word Challenge today. Let me know if you do take the challenge. I’d like to know. If you have your One Word, then please share it with me. Moreover, if you have another method for keeping your focus, then please share that method with me too.

My One Word is GRIT