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I like this<\/a>. (emphasis author’s)<\/p>\n None of that would have been possible if I wasn\u2019t willing to make a (polite) pain in the ass out of myself.<\/p>\n The world has a way of making room for those who\u00a0just won\u2019t give up<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There’s one other treat in here.<\/p>\n I wonder if it\u2019s possible to trade away some self-control to get more grit.\u00a0 That sounds like a good bargain.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That is a fantastic speculation.<\/p>\n The guy who wrote has the name Adam Smith (not the Adam Smith of economics fame, but the Adam Smith of Silicon Valley-email<\/a> fame). He successfully started and exited (b-school speak for “sold”) a company, something that is very hard no matter how many times you watch The Social Network<\/a>. It certainly takes something that is beyond intelligence or talent, or ordinary “hard work”.<\/p>\n There’s a term that I like from the Finnish culture — sisu<\/a>. It means something like “perseverance, determination, and level-headedness”, and it represents something that I want to cultivate in myself. Other than the nice end-rhyme we get from “true sisu”, I think I prefer “grit” now.<\/p>\n Check out this video that Adam referenced in his blog post. It’s definitely recommended for anyone who considers themselves ambitious.<\/p>\n