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Pound the Stone: 7 Lessons to Develop Grit on the Path to Mastery

By: Joshua Medcalf

Reflection by: Rob Victor

Why I read it?

I am always looking for books that I can learn from. I knew this book would challenge my thought process in everyday interactions both in life and in business.

What is it all about?

It is written as a fable about a high school athlete who is learning to develop grit. He has to learn how to “pound the stone” not only in basketball, but in life. Pounding the stone refers to the persistence and repetition needed to accomplish something – 99 blows with a sledgehammer might not break a stone, but the 100th might.

The book takes the reader through the high school student’s story of growth and learning life’s lessons. The way the author frames the story reminds us what is important in life, how to create everyday success, and what it looks like to master greatness.

What caused me to pause?

This book poses many questions intended to coach the reader through self-reflection. The questions about how to define success really stood out to me:

• Are you using metrics that aren’t valuable?
• Are you comparing your success against other people and what they have accomplished?

The conclusion is that only you can determine what success looks like for you based around what is important to you.

The book also prompts the reader to examine their approach to relationships and the way they interact with others:

• Are you there to give to your relationships or to get something out of your relationships?
• Do you trust you?
• Do you see yourself for who you truly are?

How will this book change my habits/influence me?
This book has allowed me to refocus on the things in life that are important. It is a reminder to continue to do the little things that got you to where you are, to be persistent and to stay disciplined. The grind associated with these habits is what creates success. Failure is just a momentary event, meaning that it does not have to define you or mean that you are a failure. Your experiences should help shape you and make you better. Greatness takes hard work, determination, and grit.

Add this to your reading list if …

You want to be challenged in your current thought process or your current state of mind.

Pickle Rating: 5/5

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