To achieve a long-term goal, one must have the passion and perseverance to reach it. This is the basic concept of grit and it is something that I find keeps popping up in these discussions with researchers, and here in my bubble of isolation, the reminders are welcome. My motivation for anything academic right now is completely absent. The fact that I’m writing this at all is amazing to me, and it’s only because the ideas of motivation that have been discussed throughout the course have been so, well, motivating.
It is neither smarts nor talent that have much bearing on success, but passion that is integral. This one intangible requirement gives me hope for my own success. In research, passion is found not just in a dedication to an interesting topic, but in perseverance, working around obstacles, recognising failure and using it. The capacity to evolve with a project and build on ideas is the most daunting part of researching, but also the most fulfilling– and it’s based on grit. Which is something I could really use right now.
