High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 710: The Power of Grit: Why Perseverance Beats Talent

Episode Date: October 22, 2025

In this episode, we dive into the power of grit—the ability to keep showing up, stay committed, and persevere even when things get tough. Grit is more than talent or luck; it’s the number one predictor of long-term success in life, work, and sport. You’ll hear the inspiring story of J.K. Rowling, who overcame rejection and struggle before building one of the most successful book series in history. We’ll explore why grit matters, how it shows up in athletics and everyday life, and most importantly, how you can strengthen your own grit to achieve your long-term vision.  Grit is the difference between giving up and breaking through.    What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why grit matters more than instant success or raw talent How athletes and high performers use grit to overcome setbacks The four things to remember about grit: clarity, purpose, positive emotions, and self-compassion Practical strategies to build grit in your own life Quote of the Week: “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill Power Phrase of the Week: “I am gritty. I persevere with passion, purpose, and persistence.” To  Request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: http://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/ To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: https://cindrakamphoff.com/ To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: Cindra Kamphoff, PhD (@cindrakamphoff) • Instagram photos and videos

Hi friends. My name is Dr. Cindera Campoff, a national leader in the field of sport and performance psychology. Every week, I'm on the local radio sharing my top tips on exactly how to develop the mindset of the world's best so you can accomplish all your dreams. Get ready for a jammed, packed episode, focus on practical tips to help you get after your goals and step out of your comfort zone. Let's go. Time to check in with Cinder Campoff, a little positivity for you, or you. We're talking about grit, the secret to staying the course. Sandra, start us off with one of your quotes. Like this quote by Winston Churchill, he said, success is not final, failure is not fatal.

It is the courage to continue that count. And you always start us off with a great story. So what kind of story do you have for us today? The story you have today is that in 1997, J.K. Rowling was a single living on welfare. She was rejected by 12 different publishers. But she didn't give up on the dream of writing. And so she kept showing up day after day fueled by her grit. And eventually, one small publisher took a chance of her manuscript, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Today, her books have sold over 600 million copies worldwide. And I think her story really reminds us that grit is not about instant success. It's about perseverance when no one is watching and progress when no one is applauding you. All right. So grit, what are we talking about today? Well, we're talking about grit. and that's the ability to keep showing up when things get tough. You know, grit has been described as the number one predictor of our long-term success

because it's staying committed despite obstacles and rejection and failure. And when you have grit, Lisa, you hold onto your vision, you keep working towards it, and you find resilience in a face of setback. Sinder, can you tell us why grit is important in life and in sports? Absolutely, because, you know, in life, it doesn't just hand us, you know, success without struggle. And so grit is what allows you to bounce back when plants, fall apart, maybe when you hear no, or when progress feels really painfully slow. You know, it keeps you showing up, learning, and growing.

And in sport, the thing is that, you know, talent might win you the first quarter, but grit wins you the game. And so every athlete faces setbacks and losses and injuries and tough training days. So grit is what helps you persevere through the grind and stay committed to, like, the long hours of practice and to perform when it matters most to you. So it's really the difference between an athlete who burns out and the one, who pushes through to greatness. So how can you help us develop our grit?

First, grit starts with clarity and asking yourself, what do you really, really want? You know, both short-term and long-term. And when you know what your vision is, your grit, you know, gives you the energy to chase it. And second, I would say grit shows up in pursuing those long-term goals. You know, the one that really takes, you know, months or years of hard work and sacrifice and persistence. What are a few ways that we can develop our grit? So a few other ways I would say is like grit is powered by our purpose. So asking yourself, why do you do what you do?

Because when you connect to your purpose every day, you really have the stamina to persevere. And I think grit is also fueled by our emotions like hope and optimism and gratitude, you know, those emotions that really help you, Lisa, find the opportunities and the difficulties and really help you moving forward, you know, even when we want to quit. And give me one last way to help develop grit for our listeners. Sure. Yeah, I'd say the last way is it actually grows by practicing compassion, especially with ourselves. So, you know, we know that setbacks are guaranteed, but when you forgive yourself, when you learn and you keep growing, you know, you turn failure into fuel. So grit isn't just about never giving up. It's about always getting back up.

Sandra, what's the final point that you have for us today? My final point is that grit is a difference between giving up and breaking through. And it's what keeps you passionate, focused, and resilient no matter the challenge. And it's not just about talent. It's about perseverance and heart. Give us a good summary for all of the things we've talked about so far. Sure. I would say that high performers know that grit is really essential, and they get clear on what they want. They work towards those long-term goals, and they anchor themselves in purpose. They fuel themselves with empowering emotions, and they give themselves grace. They keep moving forward. All right. So you've got a power phrase for us.

I do. It's this one. I am gritty. I persevere with passion, purpose, and persistence. Now, I know you've written books on this. You've done years and years of speaking. on this, where do we connect with you to find out more information? Absolutely. You can head over to Dr.Sindra.com and you can learn more about my speaking, our coaching, Mentally Strong Institute, and my book. Way to go for finishing another episode of the high performance mindset. I'm giving you a virtual fist pump. Holy cow, did that go by way too fast for anyone else? If you want more, remember to subscribe. And you can head over to Dr. Sindra for show notes and enjoy my exclusive community for high performers, where you can get you.

get access to videos about mindset each week. So again, you can add over to Dr. Cyndra. That's DRC-I-N-D-R-A.com. See you next week.