The science of how to develop spiritual resilience in work and in life
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Have you ever wondered why someone becomes a good athlete? Or an outstanding leader? Or a great parent? Why do some invariably achieve their goals , while others fail?
What is the difference? What could be more important than intelligence and talent? And what is West Point 's "atrocious barracks" ? We’ll talk about this!
Usually we answer these questions with reasoning about talent. He is probably the smartest scientist in the laboratory. He can run faster by nature than all other players on the team. He is an outstanding business strategist.
But, I think, we all know - this is not only the case.
In fact, if you think more deeply about these issues, you will realize that talent and mind do not play such a big role as it seems initially. Research results show that we owe only 30% of achievements to the mind - that is, the mind is only the tip of the iceberg.
But what is more important than intelligence and talent? Answer: spiritual endurance.
It turns out that spiritual endurance, also called “willpower”, plays a much greater role than any other quality in achieving goals related to health, career, study, business and life in general.
And this is great news, because, for example, you can’t do anything with your genes inherited from your parents, and it’s more than realistic to develop spiritual stamina.
Why is spiritual endurance so important? And how to develop it in yourself?
Let's talk about this in more detail.
Spiritual Resilience and US Army
About 1,300 cadets enter the first year of West Point Military Academy each year. In the first summer of the campus, the cadets must pass a series of tests, incredibly difficult physically and mentally. This summer initiation program at the academy is called the “brutal barracks . ”
According to the researchers who observed the West Point cadets, the “brutal barracks” are thoughtful, deliberate testing of the boundaries of the cadets' capabilities, their physical, emotional and spiritual endurance. Something similar happens and the FBI agents, whose willpower is also up to par .
Perhaps you imagine that the Cadets who successfully coped with the “brutal barracks” are larger, stronger, or at least smarter than their comrades. But Angela Duckworth, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, while observing the cadets, discovered something completely different.
Duckworth examined the achievements of the cadets, and more precisely, how spiritual endurance, perseverance and enthusiasm affect the ability to achieve goals. At West Point, she observed 2,441 cadets in her first two courses.
She recorded their school successes, the results of entrance tests, an assessment of their leadership potential (reflecting their activity in extracurricular activities), the results of checking the level of physical fitness (a standardized test consisting of physical exercises), and their assessment on a scale of willpower (measures perseverance and enthusiasm for long-term goals).
And this is what she found out ...
Not strength, not intelligence, and not leadership potential were decisive in whether the cadet successfully completed the test of the “brutal barracks”. The decisive role in this was played by willpower - perseverance and the desire to achieve long-term goals.
In fact, the cadets, who received 60 or more points on a scale of willpower, more often than others successfully passed the test of "brutal barracks." It was the strength of mind that determined the success of the Cadets, and not their talent, intelligence or heredity.
What is the importance of fortitude?
A study by Duckworth has shown the importance of fortitude in many areas.
In addition to the results of the West Point study described above, she also found that ...
- Students of the Ivy League, who differ from their comrades in greater willpower, get better grades of individual performance indicators, even if their grades for exams are lower, that is, if they are "dumber".
- When comparing two people of the same age, but with different levels of education, it is willpower (and not intelligence) that determines whose education will be better in the end.
- Participants in the National Spelling Bee spelling competition show better results not because of their IQ, but because of their willpower and regular training.
Strength of will and spirit is important not only in education. She is important in anything, and this Duckworth and her colleagues proved by questioning leaders in all areas:
Our hypothesis that willpower is important for high achievements in any field was proved during numerous interviews with professionals in the field of investment banking, painting and art, journalism, science, medicine and law. In answering the question of what quality distinguishes the best specialists in their fields, all these people mentioned willpower as often as talent. In fact, many of them were delighted with the achievements of their colleagues, who at first glance did not seem as gifted as others, but whose invariable loyalty to their ambitions was exceptional. In addition, many were surprised to see that their incredibly gifted peers did not reach the peaks in their field..
- Angela Duckworths
You, probably, have more than once been convinced of the veracity of this from your own experience.
Remember your friend who lost his talent?
What about your employee who has squeezed the most out of his potential?
Do you know someone who continues to stubbornly go towards the goal, no matter how long it takes?
Here ★ you can read the full text of the study, but the main thing is what it boils down to:
In every area of life - in education, work and health - willpower, spiritual stamina and perseverance affect your success more than any other factor.
In other words, talent is overestimated.
What is the basis for spiritual endurance?
Reasoning about spiritual endurance, willpower and perseverance is excellent. But what are these qualities in the real world?
Roughly speaking, stamina and willpower are reduced to endurance.
Strong-willed athletes have more exposure than others. They do not miss workouts. They do not postpone the tasks assigned to them. They never let teammates down.
Strong spirit leaders are more seasoned than their comrades. They have a clear goal that they go towards every day. They do not allow short-term benefits, negative feedback or a busy schedule to become an obstacle to their achievement of the goal. They organize people around - not once, but again and again.
Strong-willed artists, writers, and other creative peoplework with more regularity than most. They work regularly, on a schedule, and not only when they feel a surge of inspiration. They approach the work as real professionals, and not as amateurs. They invariably do the most important thing in the first place and do not try to evade responsibility.
The good news is that willpower and perseverance can be made features that define you, regardless of your innate talents. You can become more seasoned. You can develop an incredible level of spiritual stamina.
But how?
Based on experience, there are 3 excellent working strategies ...
1. Determine What Spiritual Resilience Is For You
For West Point cadets, spiritual endurance is a successfully passed summer of “brutal barracks”.
And for you it can mean ...
- Survive a month without missing a single workout.
- To sustain a week, without eating processed or factory food.
- Two days in a row to carry out their work tasks before the deadline.
- A week to meditate every morning.
- Perform one additional repeat in each set of exercises in the gym.
- Every Sunday in one month to meet friends.
- Within a week, spend one hour on creativity.
No matter how you determine spiritual endurance for yourself, make it clear that it will give you what you can achieve with it. Spiritual endurance is an abstract concept, but in the real world it is tied to specific actions. You can’t, by a wave of a magic wand, gain strength of mind, you can only develop and confirm it with real actions.
The second paragraph follows from this ...
2. Spiritual stamina is created by small real victories.
You cannot become steady and purposeful if you are weak in spirit. How many workouts did you miss due to the fact that not your body, but your mind told you that you were tired? How many repetitions of exercises you did not do because your mind told you: “Nine repetitions are enough. Tenth to nothing? Most people, including me, are thousands. And in 99% of cases, the cause was the weakness of not the body, but the spirit.
- Drew Shamrock
We often think that the essence of spiritual endurance is how we respond to extreme situations. How well did you perform in the championship? Can you handle the loss of one of your family members? Can you get back to business right away if your business goes bankrupt?
Undoubtedly, extreme situations test us for courage, perseverance and spiritual endurance ... But what about everyday circumstances?
Spiritual stamina is like muscle. She needs to be trained so that she grows and develops. If you can’t overcome yourself even in small things, then when it becomes really hard for you, you will be weak and not ready to cope with difficulties with dignity.
But it should not be so.
Do ten repetitions of the exercise when it seems to you that it is easier to do only nine. Create a new one instead of consuming. Ask additional questions, even when it’s easier for you to just silently accept what you are told. Prove to yourself in a thousand little things that you have enough courage to fight life's difficulties every day.
Spiritual stamina is built by small victories. It is created by the daily right choice, developing our “muscle of strength of mind”. We all want to be strong in spirit, but only by making an effort you can develop this strength in yourself. Only real actions, not words and thoughts, build up spiritual fortitude.
3. Spiritual stamina is good habits, not motivation
Motivation is not constant. Willpower stays with you always.
The essence of spiritual endurance is not incredible inspiration or courage. Its essence is in the development of everyday habits that allow you to stick to a schedule and overcome difficulties again and again, without being distracted by trifles.
Spiritually resilient people do not have to be bolder, more talented or smarter than others - but they need to be more seasoned. Spiritually persistent people develop a daily system that helps them focus on the important, regardless of the number of obstacles and difficulties that life puts on their path. It is habits that form the basis of spiritual beliefs and helps us reach the heights.
Here are the basic steps that will help you develop a new habit:
1. Start by creating your personality.
2. Focus on the small in your behavior, and not on the serious sharp transformations that radically change your life.
3. Develop the ability to constantly do what you need , regardless of the level of motivation that you feel.
4. Stay on schedule and don’t worry too much about the results.
5. If you have suffered a crushing failure, stand on your feet and get back into business as quickly as possible.
Spiritual stamina comes down to habits, even the smallest. It implies that you are constantly doing what you have to do, and that you practice what you need to achieve your goal every day and keep to a schedule.
How did you develop your spiritual stamina?
The human mission in society is clear: we all want to live a full, happy and healthy life and do something important for society and the world as a whole, changing it for the better.
Regardless of what strategies we build, regardless of what goals we set for ourselves, how we see ourselves and the people around us ... Nothing can become reality without spiritual endurance, perseverance and willpower.
When it gets too hard, most people look for something simpler to switch to. But when it becomes too hard for a spiritually stable person, he finds a way to cope with all the difficulties.
Extreme situations happen in life, requiring incredible courage, vitality and fortitude ... But for 95% of circumstances, spiritual endurance is reduced to simply being more seasoned than most people.
PS We recommend another useful article on the topic of working on yourself - How to learn to control yourself and start living the life you dream about .
The author of the translation is Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of TESTutor .
