Grit: Why Effort Counts Twice

Good morning! Can I ask you a question?

早安！我可以問你一個問題嗎？

Who succeeds in life? Is it the most talented people?

誰會在人生中成功？是最有天分的人嗎？

Angela Duckworth wanted to find out.

安琪拉・達克沃斯想找出答案。

Her answer became a famous book called Grit.

她的答案成了一本名著：《恆毅力》。

Before she was a scientist, Duckworth was a maths teacher.

在成為科學家之前，達克沃斯是一名數學老師。

And she noticed something strange.

她注意到一件奇怪的事。

Some of her smartest students didn't do very well.

她最聰明的一些學生成績並不太好。

And some students who struggled at first did brilliantly!

而一些一開始很吃力的學生，後來卻表現亮眼！

Later, she studied new cadets at West Point, a famous army academy.

後來，她研究了著名的西點軍校新生。

Their first summer there is incredibly tough.

他們在那裡的第一個夏天非常艱苦。

Some cadets quit after just a few weeks.

有些學員才幾週就放棄了。

So who stayed? Not the strongest, and not the smartest.

那麼誰留了下來？不是最強壯的，也不是最聰明的。

The ones who stayed had grit.

留下來的人都有恆毅力。

Grit means passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

恆毅力指的是對長期目標的熱情和毅力。

In simple words, you love something, and you don't give up.

簡單說，就是熱愛一件事，而且不放棄。

Duckworth also says effort counts twice.

達克沃斯還說，努力要算兩次。

First, effort turns your talent into skill.

首先，努力把天分變成技能。

Then, effort turns that skill into real success.

接著，努力再把技能變成真正的成功。

Her family even has a fun rule. They call it the Hard Thing Rule.

她家甚至有一條有趣的規定，叫「困難的事規則」。

Everyone must do one hard thing, like the violin or ballet.

每個人都要做一件困難的事，像是拉小提琴或跳芭蕾。

And you can't quit in the middle. You finish the season first.

而且不能半途而廢，要先把這一季完成。

So, if you're not the most talented person, don't worry.

所以，就算你不是最有天分的人，也別擔心。

Find something you love, and keep going.

找到你熱愛的事，然後堅持下去。

Especially on the hard days!

尤其是在辛苦的日子裡！