Men under pressure or men living in hope?

Recently, I’ve spoken with several friends and acquaintances, and once again I realized how deeply the current times are leaving their mark on people. I see fatigue, pressure coming from all directions, and the quiet devastation of mental health that many are now struggling to carry. This is what led me to reflect on the times we’re living in and also on how I myself am trying to function within them.

Pressure on Men in Today’s World

The world today is extremely demanding. It requires ever broader skill sets, higher intelligence, new knowledge, and constant flexibility. And it’s only fair to admit that we don’t always manage to keep up.

When I observe people around me, it seems they are gradually splitting into two groups. One group has already given up. They’ve withdrawn, hoping the pressure will ease and waiting for turbulence they cannot influence to pass.

The other group consists of those who understand that without continuous learning and active adaptation to the world around them, they won’t survive. I clearly belong to this second group and I’d like to share how I’m trying not only to endure this era, but to grow in it.

Why Continuous Learning Is Essential

The foundation of my approach is a constant desire to learn. It’s essentially my only true wishlist and the engine that keeps me moving.

Looking ahead to 2026, I’ve defined several areas where I want to progress. I want to better understand corporate and holding-level financial management. At the same time, I aim to refine my ability to close cycles a tool that helps me think more deeply and care for my mental health.

I’m also learning how to better meet the expectations of people around me while maintaining clearly defined roles, whether as an owner, CEO, investor, husband, father, or inspirer. Another area I’m opening up is fundraising for the non-profit educational project Kamdu. And part of my development also includes something seemingly simple regular cold exposure, which has long helped me strengthen both my health and resilience.

Community as Support

An important pillar of how I function is the communities where I feel among my own. Within ScaleUpBoard, I have dozens of friends and colleagues who are always ready to help selflessly and I return that help in the same way. I’m also a member of the Expert Board 21, which brings together owners and leaders of mid-sized and large companies.

Here, we share not only practical experience but also gain broader perspectives through invited experts on economic, societal, and global trends that impact our businesses. Both communities are spaces where I draw inspiration, clarify my priorities, and importantly find reassurance that I’m not alone in this.

Discipline and Physical Resilience

Equally important to me is a structured routine of regular training and education.

It starts with simple but disciplined strength training, which I do several times a week at home and once a week with a personal trainer at the gym. It also includes golf training and pre-season preparation for motorcycling.

Every spring, I dedicate a month to detoxification half a day daily in the sauna, supplementation, alongside the usual work and family responsibilities.

My studies are currently focused heavily on artificial intelligence. I’ll admit and you shouldn’t be afraid to admit this either that sometimes I need to replay certain parts two or three times before I fully understand them. I also continue learning through conferences: I’ll be attending the postponed NEXT MBA with Robert Kiyosaki in Barcelona, followed by TECHARENA in Stockholm, with more events surely to come.

The highlight of every summer for me is an eight-day intensive communication training by HCA, which I consider the best investment I’ve made so far and one that has driven many of my personal and professional breakthroughs.

A Man Under Pressure or a Man with Hope?

Take all of this simply as a sharing of my journey and a possible source of inspiration. I am not someone who gives up.

On the contrary at fifty-three years old, I genuinely feel that I’ve only just entered the second third of my life. And I want to fill it with activity and a willingness to grow. These times may be unforgiving, but they also bring immense hope and opportunity to those who choose not to stand still.

So make your choice. Will you be a man under pressure or a man living in hope of his ever-better self?