Abstract
<p>Grit theory established perseverance and consistency of interest as individual differences relevant to long-term achievement, but subsequent research has raised questions about the construct’s structure, overlap with conscientiousness, incremental validity, and limited attention to contextual change. Traditional grit measures and theory provide limited guidance for determining when continued persistence becomes maladaptive. This paper introduces Adaptive Grit, a domain-general process theory defined as persistence with plasticity: the capacity to pursue meaningful goals through flexible persistence while continuously adapting to changing personal, social, and environmental contexts. Unlike trait models that treat adaptability as a parallel dimension, Adaptive Grit positions adaptation as the regulatory function of goal pursuit. Individuals identify meaningful goals, pursue and monitor them, evaluate whether their strategies support adaptive functioning, develop habits and environmental scaffolds, and determine whether observed or anticipated benefits outweigh current costs. The model permits four disciplined responses: persist, adjust, pause/disengage, and re-engage, while allowing strategies, pacing, expectations, environments, supports, or goals to change in response to feedback. By treating psychological and emotional wellbeing as indicators of adaptive functioning rather than acceptable costs of achievement, Adaptive Grit seeks to support sustainable goal pursuit without equating relentless endurance with success.Keywords: adaptive grit, grit, persistence, plasticity, self-regulation, goal adjustment, environmental scaffolding</p>