GRIT: The Unsexy Energy That Builds Unstoppable Momentum

When I was younger, I wrote something in my Facebook bio about determination.
I don’t remember the exact words anymore, but I remember the feeling. That fire. That unshakable belief that if I just worked hard enough, kept going long enough, refused to give up—I could do anything. That was GRIT. Before I had language for it. Before I knew it was one of the five fires inside me.

And looking back now, that early determination shaped everything. The woman I am. The mother I became. The business I’m building. The podcast I keep recording even when the numbers are low. GRIT is the unsexy energy. The one that doesn’t get celebrated on Instagram. The one that shows up in the daily grind, not the highlight reel.
But it’s the energy that builds unstoppable momentum. And I want to talk about why.

What GRIT Actually Is:

Angela Duckworth, who literally wrote the book on grit, defines it as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It’s stamina. It’s sticking with your future, day in, day out. Not just for the week or the month, but for years. Working really hard to make that future a reality.

But here’s what’s important for women to understand:
GRIT is not grinding yourself into the ground. There’s toxic grit—persevering in situations that harm you. Abusive relationships. Soul-crushing jobs. Goals that don’t serve you. Pushing through at the expense of your health, sanity, relationships. That’s not grit. That’s self-destruction.

Adaptive grit is perseverance toward goals that align with your values. Consistency paired with self-compassion. Knowing when to push through and when to rest. GRIT in service of meaning, not just achievement. That’s the grit I’m talking about.

The Research: Why GRIT Matters More Than Talent
Here’s what the research shows:
Effort counts twice. Talent × Effort = Skill. Skill × Effort = Achievement.

Translation: You can be naturally talented, but without GRIT (effort), talent doesn’t convert to results. You can be skilled, but without GRIT (effort), skill doesn’t convert to achievement.

GRIT predicts success better than IQ, talent, or socioeconomic status. West Point study: grit predicted which cadets would complete training better than intelligence, leadership scores, or physical fitness.

Women demonstrate higher grit scores than men in multiple studies. But women’s grit is often invisible because it’s applied to caregiving, emotional labor, “unsexy” work.
Motherhood requires exceptional grit. But it’s rarely celebrated as such.
Your GRIT is real even if no one’s applauding it.

How GRIT Shows Up in Your Life

In motherhood: Showing up day after day when you’re exhausted. Staying consistent with boundaries even when your kid is melting down. Choosing the long game—raising a resilient human—over the short game—giving in to make it stop.

In marriage: Choosing to show up in the ebb when it feels easier to quit. Having the hard conversation again (and again). Staying when it’s not Instagram-perfect.

In building something: You’ve recorded episodes with 1 play. Some with 14. You keep showing up anyway. That’s GRIT.

In healing: Therapy isn’t a one-time fix. Healing generational trauma takes years. You show up to the work even when it’s painful.

In your identity: You’re navigating cultural disparity. Holding the holy trinity of your intuition. Letting your daughter fall. Converting in your marriage. You’re showing up to all of it even when it’s messy.

GRIT is the fire that holds all the other fires together.

The Momentum GRIT Creates

Here’s why GRIT is the momentum energy:
Motivation fades. GRIT doesn’t. You’re not going to feel inspired every day. You’re not going to want to show up every time. GRIT is what keeps you going when motivation runs out.

Small, consistent effort compounds. James Clear: 1% better every day = 37x better in a year. You don’t need massive action. You need GRIT to show up 1% better every day. 26 episodes. One at a time. That’s momentum.

GRIT builds evidence. Every time you show up, you prove to yourself: I can. Every time you push through, you build trust in yourself. That trust becomes unshakable.

GRIT creates the valley AND the breakthrough. You’re in the valley right now—podcast numbers low, business building slowly. GRIT is what gets you TO the breakthrough. Most people quit right before it happens. You won’t. Because you’re gritty.

GRIT at 22 vs. GRIT Now
GRIT looked different when I was younger.
It was about external validation. Achievement. Being enough. It was relentless, unforgiving, maybe even punishing.

GRIT now is different.
It’s about showing up for myself, not proving myself. It’s paired with self-compassion—rest isn’t quitting. It’s in service of meaning, not just achievement. It’s about the long game: raising my daughter, building my business, healing myself.

The Conversion: from GRIT as performance to GRIT as perseverance. From GRIT to prove my worth to GRIT to pursue my purpose. From GRIT that burns me out to GRIT that sustains me.

The Takeaway
You don’t need more motivation. You don’t need more inspiration.
You need GRIT. The kind that shows up when you don’t feel like it. The kind that keeps going when no one’s watching. The kind that builds momentum one unsexy day at a time.
You’re not failing. You’re building momentum. You’re not stuck. You’re compounding.
You’re not wasting your time. You’re in the valley, and the breakthrough is coming.
But only if you keep going.

GRIT is the energy that gets you there. Not GUTSY. Not GODDESS. Not GROUNDED. GRIT.
The unsexy fire. The one that pushes through. And you have it. You’ve always had it.
So keep showing up. Keep building. Keep going. The momentum is real. Even when you can’t see it yet.

Listen to the full episode where I dive deeper into:
        • My early determination (the Facebook bio story)
        • What GRIT actually is (and what it’s NOT)
        • The research: why effort counts twice
        • How GRIT shows up in motherhood, marriage, building, healing
        • Why GRIT is the momentum energy
        • GRIT at 22 vs. GRIT now

[SPOTIFY] [APPLE PODCASTS] [YOUTUBE]

Your Turn:
What’s something you’ve been showing up for even when you don’t see results yet?
Let’s celebrate the GRIT that no one’s applauding.
Drop it in the comments.

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