Grit

TED talk on Grit - how do you cultivate grit in students (people)?

Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit

Seems like anyone who has grit has great love for what motivates them. A person they don't want to disappoint, a game they love to play, a subject or idea they love to explore.

Grit also involves a willingness to do things you DON'T want to do, in search of an ultimate goal or future reward. So you have to practice doing things you don't want to do to develop grit. Here I think is where the relationship between teacher and student is the key determinant. A student will do what is asked of them, even if they don't want to do it, because they respect or like the person asking.

In the end the motivation stems from thinking about the future you want. If you cannot visualize or at least have an idea of what you want in the future, you will not be gritty about attaining it.