Fruit of Perseverance

There are more than one hundred thousand academic institutions starting from schools to higher education that exist in India. Out of these many institutions, a handful of them, say about hundred, are quite prominent in its quality of excellence. These institutions attract hundreds of students; rather hundred thousands who wish to apply for its admission cycle. However, very few students get selected in these premier institutions like IITS, AIIMS, National Law Colleges, IIMS and NIDS etc. Students who seek admissions in such centers of academic excellence are required to score high marks in their entrance examinations.

In the book Grit, written by author Angela Duckworth, she speaks about passion and perseverance. Of many children, some are considered to be talented. Do these students become successful in the field they wish to pursue? Not all of them. According to Angela Duckworth, talent is one component of the success formula. Along with talent an individual has to put continuous effort relentlessly with passion and perseverance. In numerous studies that were conducted in sports, academics and music etc, the achievers became successful only because they had something called – Grit.

When parents wish to see their children as successful achievers, they must remember to inspire them to work continuously towards the desired goal with passion and perseverance. The field of music is a classic example. There are thousands of students who join music classes at an early age. But, very few become virtuoso and successful musicians garnering accolades and a large fan base. The success mantra of these celebrity musicians is nothing but continuous effort and deliberate practice.

Well-known author Carol Dweck in her book Growth Mindset speaks about successful people and their mindset. In her well researched book, Carol speaks about Growth Mindset of people who have achieved success in their respective domains. Setbacks are common when someone endeavors to achieve a certain standard of goals. This is where the deliberate practice comes in.

Another well-known book by the name Peak, written by Peter Erikson also emphasizes the need for deliberate practice. However, Peter Eriskson, through his research found that deliberate practice also should have a method. For example, a novice who learns to play an instrument. His master has to be careful in giving a task that is neither easy nor too difficult. If the task is easy then the pupil becomes bored; whereas if the given task is tough, the person who is playing the instrument would soon give up. So, there has to be a right balance. The teacher has to design the learning process in such a manner wherein his or her student learns a tough lesson through deliberate practice slowly and gradually.

When we talk about Grit, a combination of passion and perseverance matter more. For example, In India, IIMS are considered the epitome of Management Institutions especially the top 3 IIMS that are situated in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata. The number of applicants willing to take admissions are quite overwhelming; but those who get entry into these institutions indeed must have exhibited a great deal of Grit. Interestingly, it has been found that the majority of the students who get admissions in IIMS have an engineering background, that too from some of the top notch engineering colleges. So, the candidates have already exhibited a good amount of Grit in getting selected in these colleges. Subsequently, after graduating, these professionals get into good companies. After acquiring a few years experience, these

professionals prepare themselves for CAT – Competitive Admission Test, which is the prime requirement, besides personal interviews and group discussions. When an IIM aspirant prepares for an entrance examination, it is not talent alone that counts, but passion and perseverance that play a great deal of importance.

One thing that is quite convincing is that Talent is not the only factor for success. Even if someone is not talented; but through continuous effort, if he or she nurtures learning through deliberate practice with a growth mindset, success will become a reachable object.