Things to Know

Psychologist Angela Duckworth popularized the idea of grit as a personality trait in the early 2000s. She defines it as "perseverance and passion for long-term goals." The word has been around since at least the 1800s, though.
Studies have shown that grit can be a good predictor of success in school, at work, and in other areas. For example, one study found that the "grittiest" kids were most likely to make it to the finals of the National Spelling Bee.
Grit is not the same as intelligence or talent. Some studies have even found a small negative relationship between IQ and grit, which means that the "grittiest" students aren't always the smartest.
Someone who isn't naturally "gritty" might be able to become more so. Putting effort ahead of results, accepting that failure is unavoidable, and being around hardworking, passionate people could help someone become grittier.
There are people who don't like grit. Some researchers contend that "grit" is synonymous with conscientiousness, while others hypothesize that perseverance alone, rather than the conjunction of perseverance and passion, elucidates the correlation between grit and success.
Don't just blame a lack of grit for not being successful. It's true that determination and passion are important, but if you focus too much on them, you might miss out on other important traits, like creativity, or downplay systemic barriers to success, like poverty.

Now is the time to make a change.

Accept failure: Letting yourself fail, even at something small or unimportant, can make you more determined to keep going when things go wrong in the future.
Try new things. You can always find something you love. You can follow your passion by taking classes, volunteering, and getting ideas from the people around you.
Think about getting help. Therapy or career counseling can help you set hard but doable goals and learn the skills you need to reach them.