Grit Quotes to Help You Get Through Life

Grit is a term we use to describe someone who shows courage and strength.

These ‘grit your teeth’ quotes come from a saying which means to keep your resolve during a challenging situation.

Other words that come to mind are also known as the ‘Five Characteristics of Grit.’

These include courage, conscientiousness, perseverance, resilience, and passion.

Many of these are mentioned in these grit quotes from politicians, sportspeople, and even, authors!

Is grit something that you are born with or can you get it somehow?

Luckily, you can increase your grit by doing a few things.

The first is to feed your passion and pursue things that interest you.

It is much easier to face hardships when you are pursuing a goal and finding your purpose.

Practice might not make perfect, but it will increase your grit and determination, as you undoubtedly get better.

Keep reading these grit quotes for more ways you can develop grit.

Don’t forget to also check out these resilience quotes to inspire your next comeback.

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation.

Browse our entire collection of inspirational quotes for more motivating ideas and concepts.

‘Grit your teeth’ quotes for when you face fear and adversity

1. “Grit your teeth and smile. In the face of adversity, go. They don’t deserve you.” — Christine Lagarde

You will also enjoy our article on Grease quotes.

2. “I like things that make you grit your teeth. I like tucking my chin in and sort of leading into the storm. I like that feeling. I like it a lot.” — Daniel Day-Lewis

You will also enjoy our article on perseverance quotes.

3. “I have to grit my teeth sometimes, knowing I am going to be written about. But I think it is my life, and I don’t want to get people interested in debating it.” — Jonathan Dimbleby

4. “In order to obtain the goal of returning to Palestine, all of us sometimes have to grit our teeth.” — Yasser Arafat

5. “Some people, you have to grit your teeth in order to stay in the same room as them, but you get on and ask the questions you assume most of the people watching want to ask.” — Morley Safer

6. “You just have to stand and grit your teeth and know your poll numbers are going to go down – and mine have – but you gotta grit through it because the alternative is unacceptable.” — Chris Christie

7. “I’ll grit my teeth in anxiety. I feel like a student before the start of school. I’ve got my new shoes and my book bag, but I’m not sure I’ll remember how to do trigonometry. During my maternity leave, I haven’t used many words of more than one syllable.” — Jane Pauley

8. “That grit of fighting is addictive, I’m scared of it. It’s a very weird thing.” — Dustin Poirier

Famous Grit quotes from political figures and people in sports

9. “In Wyoming, the beauty of our mountains is matched only by the grit of our people.” — Liz Cheney

10. “Together we can build the Michigan we believe in, because we still have what we need most – the strength, the talent, the vision and the grit of the incredible people of this state.” — Gretchen Whitmer

11. “We’re going to be OK because of the American people. They have more grit, determination and courage than you can imagine.” — Joe Biden

12. “Every day, across our state, we see grit and resilience.” — Ben Sasse

13. “Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I’ll be right there with you as a citizen – inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far.” — Barack Obama

14. “As important as hustle is, grit and resilience are equally as important because there’s a lot of rejection in our business.” — Troy Carter

15. “Heroes are never perfect, but they’re brave, they’re authentic, they’re courageous, determined, discreet, and they’ve got grit.” — Wade Davis

16. “Goal line is goal line. You go down there and it’s the grit and grind of the game.” — Matt Cassel

17. “You need to learn a practical lesson. Grit alone is not going to save you from sinking.” — David Robinson

18. “We need a president with experience and the wisdom and the grit to stand up to bullies who tell women that they should be punished for making their own decisions.” — Tony Goldwyn

19. “I deeply appreciate the people of Michigan. I love their grit. I love the way they face life. I love the family values they have.” — Ernie Harwell

Grit quotes about what it is and what it takes

20. “Grit is that ‘extra something’ that separates the most successful people from the rest. It’s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.” — Travis Bradberry

21. “Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” — Angela Duckworth

22. “Grit, in a word, is stamina. But it’s not just stamina in your effort. It’s also stamina in your direction, stamina in your interests. If you are working on different things but all of them very hard, you’re not really going to get anywhere. You’ll never become an expert.” — Angela Duckworth

23. “Over time, grit is what separates fruitful lives from aimlessness.” — John Ortberg

24. “What does it take to be the first female anything? It takes grit, and it takes grace.” — Meryl Streep

25. “Writing is such a ‘pretend’ profession. Nobody is counting on you at all. You can’t ‘pretend’ to be a lawyer or a teacher. It takes a lot of grit to continue.” — MacKenzie Scott

26. “It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit and gumption to forgive them for having witnessed your own.” — Jessamyn West

27. “Sticking with a marriage. That’s true grit, man.” — Jeff Bridges

Inspirational Grit quotes about teaching, students, and parenting

28. “Grittier students are more likely to earn their diplomas; grittier teachers are more effective in the classroom. Grittier soldiers are more likely to complete their training, and grittier salespeople are more likely to keep their jobs. The more challenging the domain, the more grit seems to matter.” — Angela Duckworth

29. “Grit can’t be measured on pop quizzes, but it can often predict long-term success more than mere intelligence.” — Laura Moser

30. “Most teachers, when surveyed, say that it is part of their job to help students develop things like grit. This is especially true at the elementary and middle school levels. They feel it’s part of their vocation to teach other things that are not formally academic content.” — Angela Duckworth

31. “To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows, about building it. Every day, parents and teachers ask me, ‘How do I build grit in kids? What do I do to teach kids a solid work ethic? How do I keep them motivated for the long run?’ The honest answer is, I don’t know.” — Angela Duckworth

32. “Childhood doesn’t have to be perfect, and children don’t have to be beautiful. From a bit of grit may grow a pearl, and if pearl production doesn’t materialise, the outcome will still be preferable to the shallowness of vanity.” — Laurie Graham

33. “The parenting style that is good for grit is also the parenting style good for most other things: Be really, really demanding, and be very, very supportive.” — Angela Duckworth

34. “Being gritty doesn’t mean not showing pain or pretending everything is okay. In fact, when you look at healthy and successful and giving people, they are extraordinarily meta-cognitive. They’re able to say things like, ‘Dude, I totally lost my temper this morning.’ That ability to reflect on yourself is signature to grit.” — Angela Duckworth

Motivational Grit quotes about hard work, determination, and talent

35. “If you represent your country and millions of people are watching, it comes through a lot of grit and hard work.” — Michelle Kwan

36. “Hard work isn’t enough. And more work is never the real answer. The sort of grit you need to scale a business is less reliant on brute force. It’s actually one part determination, one part ingenuity, and one part laziness.” — Reid Hoffman

37. “Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self-belief – everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.” — Dustin Poirier

38. “Ultimately, I think it takes a certain grit and determination to constantly re-prove to people that you’re just as dedicated, just as determined, and just as capable as the entrepreneurs around you who may better fit the physical pattern – but on the flipside, women who succeed often become razor sharp through the process.” — Kathryn Minshew

39. “You have your best workouts when you go in thinking you don’t want to do it, because you’re so satisfied with your own determination and grit.” — Tessa Virtue

40. “Humans are creatures of habit. If you quit when things get tough, it gets that much easier to quit the next time. On the other hand, if you force yourself to push through it, the grit begins to grow in you.” — Travis Bradberry

41. “At various points, in big ways and small, we get knocked down. If we stay down, grit loses. If we get up, grit prevails.” — Angela Duckworth

42. “Being a top performer – whether it’s in business or on the athletic field – requires grit and tenacity, as well as the continuous desire to become better.” — Amy Morin

43. “Some people mistake grit for sheer persistence – charging up the same hill again and again. But that’s not quite what I mean by the word ‘grit.’ You want to minimize friction and find the most effective, most efficient way forward. You might actually have more grit if you treat your energy as a precious commodity.” — Reid Hoffman

44. “Talent alone gets you nowhere. You really have to have the grit, and you gotta have a love for people.” — Zac Brown

Perseverance grit quotes for when you need a little pep talk

45. “The way that I’ve been raised and the things I’ve had to do has given me grit that is unmatchable unless you were beside me.” — Lacey Evans

46. “Every great story happened when someone decided not to give up.” — Spryte Loriano

47. “Grit is the stubborn refusal to quit.” — Anonymous

48. “Grit is sticking with your future day in, day out and not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years.” — Angela Lee Duckworth

49. “You have a choice! You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your face!” — Anonymous

50. “Negative emotions will challenge your grit every step of the way. While it’s impossible not to feel your emotions, it’s completely under your power to manage them effectively and to keep yourself in a position of control. When you let your emotions overtake your ability to think clearly, it’s easy to lose your resolve.” — Travis Bradberry

Grit quotes to help you become more resilient

51. “Grit and self-control are related, but they’re not the same thing.” — Angela Duckworth

52. “We can find a great sector or business, but we’re investing so early that unless there’s this tenacious grit, determination, resourcefulness, ability to evolve, it won’t work.” — Dan Levitan

53. “One of the greatest boons that can ever come to a human being is to be born on a farm and reared in the country. Self-reliance and grit are oftenest country-bred.” — Orison Swett Marden

54. “I like grit. I like love and death. I’m tired of irony.” — Jim Harrison

55. “I kept going. The decisions I’ve had to make, the setbacks, the feeling of having my back against the wall, I was determined that I had the grit.” — Eddy Alvarez

56. “I think my story relates. When I started out, all I had was my passion and grit.” — Huda Kattan

57. “What is grit? Grit is refusing to give up. It’s persistence. It’s making your own luck.” — Peter Diamandis

58. “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” — T.S. Eliot

59. “Leadership grit begets grit. Lead by example.” — Bill Hybels

60. “Grit is not just simple elbow-grease term for rugged persistence. It is an often invisible display of endurance that lets you stay in an uncomfortable place, work hard to improve upon a given interest, and do it again and again.” — Sarah Lewis

Motivational Grit Quotes To Endure Hard Times

61. “Life may try to knock you down but be persistent with your passions – cultivate grit, resilience, tenacity and endurance success will come.” ― Amit Ray

62. “Successful people aren’t born successful. Behind it all there is hard work, persistence and a lot of grit.” ― Arshad Wahedna

63. “Grit is having the courage to do the right thing, regardless of the popularity or consequences.” — Joan Hall

64. “Grit is knowing who you are and where you are headed, moving determinedly forward with eyes fixed on the mark, rather than the obstacles that lie in wait.” — Christine Bisch

65. “Grit is picking yourself up and moving forward even when you think you can’t take one more step.” — Christy Mossburg

66. “Success doesn’t just happen. It is a product of hard work, grit and ingenuity.” ― Ogwo David Emenike

67. “True grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done. No moral man can have peace of mind if he leaves undone what he knows he should have done.” — John Wayne

68. “Grit is having the courage to push through, no matter what the obstacles are, because it’s worth it.” — Chris Morris

69. “People with grit don’t believe that failure is a permanent condition.” ― Angela Duckworth

70. “Mindset is everything. Your success begins and ends with mindset. In between it’s grit that carries you through.” — LeAura Alderson

What did you learn from these grit quotes?

In addition to finding your purpose, pursuing your passion, and making sure to practice there are a few other things you can do to improve your ‘gritiness.’

First, make sure to stay hopeful and always try and find at least one ‘bright side’ to whatever you are facing.

I recently lost my wallet in Mexico, and instead of getting mad or completely stressed, I just canceled all my cards.

Then looked at my husband and said, “Well, I have lost 85 pounds so I needed a new driver’s license photo anyway.”

His response was, “You are such a glass half-full type of person,” while he shook his head!

Honestly, though, it is how I learned to have grit.

The next thing you can do to increase your own grit, is to hang out with those gritty half-full, determined, and resilient people.

Some of it might rub off while you get a chance to see how other people react to challenges and adversity.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these grit quotes and sayings?

Do you have any other favorite quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.