Be A Rockstar | How Gritty Are You?

(Last Updated On: June 1, 2020)

So, I’ve told you a lot about grit, but you’re probably wondering, “How the Hell do I know if I’m gritty, Breezer? TELL ME.”
Angela Duckworth developed a Grit Scale for her study of West Point cadets and has used it in other studies. Read each sentence, and rate it accordingly. There will be ten (10) total. One section will be your PASSION Score. The other will be your PERSEVERANCE Score. Do not overthink. Ask yourself how you compare to most people.

PASSION Score

Rate these questions from 5=Not at all like me, 4=Not much like me, 3=Somewhat like me, 2=Mostly like me, 1=Very much like me.

1. New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.
2. I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.
3. I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete.
4. My interests change from year to year.
5. I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.

Now, add up your points and divide by 5. This is your PASSION Score.

PERSEVERANCE Score

Rate these questions from 1=Not at all like me, 2=Not much like me, 3=Somewhat like me, 4=Mostly like me, 5=Very much like me.

1. Setbacks don’t discourage me. I don’t give up easily.
2. I am a hard worker.
3. I finish whatever I begin.
4. I am diligent. I never give up.
5. I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge.

Now, add up your points and divide by 5. This is your PERSEVERANCE Score.

GRIT Score

NOW. Add the two scores up. Divide them by 2. This is your GRIT Score.
At this point in time, my PASSION Score is 3.8. Had I done this quiz ten years ago in the midst of focusing head-on to graduating with my Bachelor’s, my score would easily have been a 4.8 or a 5. As life tends to do, I am in quite a different place, trying to figure out the core of my next life goals.
In contrast, I would presume my PERSEVERANCE Score has stayed just about the same at 5. In this recent part of my life, staying focused on consistent goals over a longer period of time is the greater struggle as opposed to my diligence.
Typically, Duckworth finds that those who score high on passion also score high on perseverance. This may not be true in your case. Below is a list of how your scores compare to a large sample of American adults.

Where do you fall? Are both of your scores high? Tell me in the comments!

Percentile Grit Scale

10% 2.5

20% 3.0

30% 3.3

40% 3.5

50% 3.8

60% 3.9

70% 4.1

80% 4.3

90% 4.5

95% 4.7

99% 4.9

“Chapter 4: How Gritty Are You?.” Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth, Scribner, 2018, pp. 53–57.