There is no doubt that succeeding requires something that allows us to overcome the many obstacles that we encounter along the way. There is evidence that this something is born out of our habits and discipline: grit.

In a study of cadets at West Point, researchers noticed that the most important factor correlated with their ability to graduate was something called “grit”, which they defined as “the tendency to work strenuously toward challenges, maintaning effort and interst over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress.” What the researchers concluded was that cadets with grit started with habits of mental and physical discipline that allow them find the strength to overcome these obstacles.

(From “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business“, by Charles Duhigg)