Develop interest, don’t just wait to find it

Deepen passion through engagement over time rather than expecting instant fit.

Why it works

Duckworth argues passion is usually developed, not discovered in a flash — interest deepens through repeated engagement, growing competence, and exposure. Expecting to feel a finished passion before committing keeps people perpetually sampling; deliberately investing in an area long enough lets genuine interest grow from familiarity and mastery.

How to do it

1. Pick a plausible area and commit to engaging with it long enough to get past the awkward stage.
2. Deepen interest by learning more and improving, not by waiting for a spark.
3. Notice that competence and curiosity tend to grow together.

Evidence

The "develop, don’t just discover" view of interest is consistent with research on interest development and with competence-driven motivation. The passion side of grit is, however, the least empirically supported. (observational)

Passion is the weaker, less-replicated facet of grit and contributes little incremental prediction; developing interest is reasonable advice but not a strong evidence-based lever.

Common mistake

Endlessly searching for a pre-formed passion and bailing whenever something gets hard or dull early, never staying long enough for real interest to develop.