True Grit.

For the past year, I have had this Women's Health magazine article on my refrigerator. You can read the full article here, and I suggest you do. If you don't feel like reading it - Oh, c'mon! - I'll give you the breakdown.

It starts off talking about a woman named Micha Burden - a woman who wasn't a stellar swimmer and was somewhat out of shape - who wanted to compete in and win the U.S. Open Water World Championship. So, she hired a performance consultant (Kenneth Baum), worked her butt off, and as all happy/motivational stories go, she won.

The article discusses the importance of grit when attaining a long-term goal. Some people have it and some people don't. It goes on to cite studies of those who are successful in their fields and those who are not. In one instance they discuss a group of children that they follow into adulthood and see that "... the only difference between the most successful and the least successful of the bunch was that who scored real-world achievement possessed traits such as perseverance." The article then provides a "Grit Scale," used "to rank an individual's level of perseverance," from Angela Duckworth, Ph.D. who developed the scale after a 2002 study.

It then goes on to discuss the cultivation of grit. While some people are born with that mind-set, it is also possible to be developed. Dean Keith Simonton, Ph.D. and Tara Jones, Ph.D. offer some fantastic tips on developing your grit. These tips include:

"You first have to pinpoint a long-term goal that you're willing to work hard to obtain, even if it means overcoming obstacles." (Simonton)
"Performance goals are about the training, putting in all the hours or miles so that you can reach your final goal." (Simonton)
"It's about doing something because you want to... It's critical for persistence." (Jones)

Another key ingredient in grit is optimism.

"You can train yourself to view things in a more optimistic, positive way. It's about challenging your own beliefs." (Jones)
"Recording your successes on a regular basis helps bolster positive thinking." (Jones)

The article itself is a great motivating tool. It has that "YES, I CAN!" feeling and leaves you wanting to set those long-term goals. I'm definitely going to keep their studies and tips in mind while training for my half-marathon on April 15. Do you have any goals? Everyone should, and this article shoes that with a little grit and sweat, anything is possible.

Every man needs a Molly. Every girl needs a Kate.

That's right. I just referenced a Say Anything song in a blog post. That's how hard I rock. This post isn't about Say Anything, however. This post is about having someone who helps you stay on track and realize/achieve your goals. This post is about Kate.

My friend Kate and I try to meet up once a month. I realize how pathetic our goal of meeting up so seldom is, but it's a goal. And it's our goal. During that time we devote hours catching up and discussing our lives. Our topics range from work to our latest Pinterest findings - please, don't hate - and anything in between.

I really appreciate the time I have with Kate because not only is she a fabulous friend, she is also a tremendous mentor. And though I'm sure me telling her this would make her face as red as her hair, I'm drop dead serious.

Kate has been a tremendous outlet for expressing my life and career goals. Talking them through with her and hearing what her goals are, helps me gain momentum in achieving my goals. Yes, I discuss these things with my boyfriend, but having a woman's thoughts and support on matters can be very beneficial. I often feel that men and women have completely different ways of supporting each other. If you tell a man what your goal is, he will tell you that you should achieve your goal and that is that. Women tend to support your goal but then ask questions about the specifics behind it and give somewhat of an outline in achieving the goal.

This is why I suggest everyone go out and find their Kate. Or maybe you already have a Kate in your life. Perhaps you have that friend, or handful of friends, to whom you express what's on your mind. If so, consider yourself lucky and be sure to keep in contact with your Kate. If you are anything like myself, you will leave your meet up feeling confident and inspired.