Why Extraordinary Success Demands Extraordinary Discomfort

The secret weapon that makes intelligence, charisma, and talent irrelevant.

Photo by Jungwoo Hong on Unsplash

Everyone's chasing success through the wrong doors. They're obsessing over IQ points, networking tactics, and personal branding, while silently, the world's most resilient achievers are leveraging something far more powerful that most people have never even heard of it. It's called "sisu," and once you understand it, you'll never look at challenges the same way again.

The Finnish Secret to Extraordinary Achievement

During my time at Nokia, I had the privilege of working closely with Finns, frequently traveling to Helsinki and immersing myself in their culture. While they're known for their dislike of small talk, their love of silence (matched only by their passion for saunas and Moomin mugs), there's one concept that stands at the core of their remarkable resilience: sisu.

This Finnish concept has no direct English translation, but it might just be the most important success principle you've never encountered.

Moomin mug. Photo by Nik on Unsplash

What Makes Sisu Different from Ordinary Grit

Sisu isn't just persistence or determination. It's a mindset that embraces extreme adversity with unflinching courage. It's about taking decisive action against seemingly impossible odds and applying resilience despite repeated failure.

But here's where sisu differs from grit: it carries an element of passion. Not the kind that makes you love the challenge, quite the opposite. Sisu is about throwing everything you've got at something despite it being uncomfortable and downright unpleasant.

The sisu mindset doesn't prioritize enjoying the journey. It embraces the struggle as the very thing that reveals what you're truly made of.

Why This Matters for Your Success

Those with sisu don't view adversity as failure or proof of unhappiness. They see it as an opportunity to demonstrate their inner strength. The better you face hardship with courage, the easier it becomes to experience genuine happiness. Even when life is kicking your ass.

This is how we win those brutal mental and physical battles. It's how we unlock the profound satisfaction that comes from exceeding our own limitations, transforming barriers into frontiers, and finding purpose through the fire of accomplishment.

8 Daily Habits to Build Your Sisu Muscle

Want to develop this superpower? Start small:

1. Face a daily challenge: Make that difficult call, tackle the lingering task, or speak up when it feels easier to stay silent.

2. Embrace discomfort: Exercise in tough conditions, take cold showers, or deliberately choose the harder option when an easy one is available. I’m an absolute fan of cold plunges and highly recommend them!

3. Connect with nature: Even in harsh weather, get outside. The Finns understand that nature restores mental fortitude in profound ways.

4. Prioritize true self-care: Not the Instagram version, but the kind that actually fuels resilience: proper nutrition, movement, and adequate rest.

5. Practice radical candor: Say what you mean, avoid unnecessary drama, and communicate with respectful directness that comes from deep care.

6. Develop mental flexibility: Stretch beyond your perceived limitations by continuously trying new things and adapting to change.

7. Embrace silence and reflection: Build inner strength through mindfulness and regular periods of quiet contemplation. Put pen to paper and structure your thoughts.

8. Celebrate progress, not perfection: Acknowledge yourself for facing challenges, regardless of their size or your "performance."

Sisu Saboteurs: Warning Signs That Threaten Your Professional Sisu

I’ve run into every one of these saboteurs at different points in my career. Usually thinking I was just being determined, when really I was stuck. I’m sharing what I’ve learned the hard way, in case it helps you catch those moments when your drive might actually need a new direction.

1. Burnout disguised as dedication

🚩 Red Flag

• Decreased performance despite increased hours

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Track energy levels, not just time spent

💼 Professional Edge

• Research shows the most innovative solutions emerge from well-rested minds! Schedule "strategic disconnection" to maintain your competitive advantage

2. Strategic misalignment

🚩 Red Flag

• Feeling intense resistance toward tasks that should align with your professional goals

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Weekly purpose audit: score each major project (1-10) on its alignment with your ultimate professional vision

💼 Professional Edge

• Redirect your sisu toward the 20% of activities that will generate 80% of your career advancement

3. Isolation syndrome

🚩 Red Flag

• Pride in handling everything yourself

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Identify 3 specific areas where strategic collaboration would multiply your impact

💼 Professional Edge

• Build a reciprocal "expertise exchange" with colleagues where you each leverage distinctive strengths

4. Decision fatigue

🚩 Red Flag

• Procrastinating on important choices

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Create decision frameworks for recurring challenges

💼 Professional Edge

• Reserve your peak mental hours for the 3-5 strategic decisions that most impact your professional trajectory

5. Perfectionism paralysis

🚩 Red Flag

• Projects consistently delayed because they're not ready yet

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Set "good enough" thresholds for different types of work

💼 Professional Edge

• Adopt iterative excellence: launch at 80% and improve through real-world feedback rather than theoretical perfection

6. Skill stagnation

🚩 Red Flag

• Comfort with current capabilities

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Dedicate 5% of your work week to developing an emerging skill your industry will value in 18-24 months

💼 Professional Edge

• Become the colleague who bridges traditional expertise with future-focused capabilities

7. False metric fixation

🚩 Red Flag

• Obsessing over vanity metrics (likes, views, non-essential KPIs) while ignoring impact measures

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Define no more than 3 metrics that genuinely measure your professional advancement

💼 Professional Edge

• Create a personal dashboard showing only the numbers that correlate with meaningful career progress

8. Relationship neglect

🚩 Red Flag

• Network outreach only when you need something

🛠️ Tactical Response

• Schedule regular, agenda-free connections with key professional relationships

💼 Professional Edge

• Develop the reputation as someone who creates value before extracting it

Important consideration

True sisu in the professional world isn't about white-knuckling through every challenge. It’s about applying fierce persistence to the right obstacles while having the wisdom to recognize and neutralize the forces that would derail your success.

The ultimate professional achievement isn't just conquering mountains but strategically choosing which mountains are worth your climb.

Here’s my Sisu Check-in template that you can start implementing right now

Weekly:

• Identify my top 3 worthy challenges for the week

• Schedule specific recovery blocks in my calendar

• Review my metrics dashboard (focused only on impact measures)

• Make one high-impact decision during my peak mental hours

• Complete my weekly purpose audit

Monthly:

• Reach out to one key relationship without an agenda

• Dedicate time to developing my future-focused skill

• Launch something at 80% rather than waiting for perfection

The Bottom Line

The most successful people aren't necessarily the smartest, most charming, or best-looking. They're the ones who've developed the capacity to push through discomfort, face adversity head-on, and keep going when others quit.

They have sisu.

And the beautiful thing? Unlike IQ or natural charisma, sisu is something you can deliberately cultivate, starting today, with the very next challenge life throws your way.

What will you do today to build your sisu muscle?