Angela Duckworth, the psychologist and author of the bestselling Grit, is set to return with Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best, published by Penguin India.

In Situated, Duckworth shifts the focus from individual willpower and perseverance to the environments in which people live and work. Drawing on research and personal experiences, she argues that the people around us, the objects within reach and even the neighbourhoods we live in can influence behaviour, motivation and outcomes.

Duckworth, who rose to global prominence with Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, says grit remains important but is not always enough. The new book explores how changing the situation around us can sometimes be more effective than simply trying harder to change ourselves.

The book examines why people can behave differently in different situations and how environments can be redesigned to make desirable behaviours easier. It also looks at ways of overcoming temptation without relying entirely on willpower and explains how the people we spend time with can shape who we become.

Situated draws on examples from the lives of figures including Taylor Swift, Michael Phelps and Jerry Seinfeld, alongside Duckworth’s own experiences, including burnout and challenges in her marriage.

According to Penguin India, the book offers a framework for identifying and creating situations that help people perform and flourish. Its central idea is that achieving a goal may not always require greater self-discipline; sometimes, changing the circumstances can make the path easier.

Duckworth is a psychologist, MacArthur Fellow and Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Her first book, Grit, became a #1 New York Times bestseller and has sold more than five million copies worldwide.