How did I become Ordinary Mart?

How did I become Ordinary Mart?

A story of my life. A short summary of my accomplishments.  My resume to readers.

It’s the hardest article to write, and of course, I start with it. I have edited it already 54 times and would easily continue to do it daily. How to describe oneself background? The first question normally would be, who is asking?

Although, here in online space anyone could read. How do I craft a likeable story to my future boss? To an old friend, I haven’t seen since teenage years? For my girlfriend? To cool people, I want to secretly impress?

I guess it’s impossible to like to everyone. But let me do my best. No more edits.

Keeping a goal

Okay, let’s have a cool start to my story.

I had a good and sweet childhood with lots of playing outside, doing everything that small guys do. Until one day my friends invited me to football training. I have since spent most of my free time playing or watching it. All my teenage years went pass with a dream of becoming professional goalkeeper one day.

But I was not talented, little lazy, and constantly struggling with self-confidence. Plus, there was always question in my head, do I really want focus only on football? So even though I spent all these years and 10 000+ hours on the field, I still didn’t make it. What the hell, Malcolm Gladwell? Have to agree with this article. 

Passing tests

Alright, not in football, maybe in education. Well, there’s a problem – I don’ t have a bright mind. Although I am duteous and have a good short time memory. In school, I quickly figured out most effective ways to do as much as needed but as less as possible. With this foxiness and constant luck, I managed to finish with good grades.

Next logical step –  university. Previously learned tricks, generous coursemates, and mediocre difficulty helped me to easily finish my higher studies at a nominal time. I  basically don’t remember anything I have studied, but I can proudly say that I have a Bachelor’s degree in Logistics.

Seeing how little effort I put in, how far away from real life were the subjects, and how little I have ever used the learned knowledge, my university experience destroyed my belief in an academic higher education.

By the way, first time I ever felt motivated to study something, was an exact point when I didn’t have anything compulsory to study. Just after finishing university. I have since learned many courses on online platforms – Udemy and Edx. Read about personal development, work related stuff and some classic books. It all has been much more fun than uninteresting subjects by humdrum lecturers.

Finally working

No more studying, it was time to search for a job and earn money. Luck stroke and I found one of the greatest jobs for my personal development – purchaser. Sourcing countless different materials for furniture manufacturing company. All days full of problems, hustles, and fun.

For a 22-year-old guy, it was a really big deal. Sitting next to 50-something-year-old suppliers, and negotiating in sums I have ever seen before. After 3 years I got promoted to a manager position – I suppose I did something right there.

Meanwhile, after the end of any possibilities to succeed in football player career, I started coaching small children in football. It was one of the scariest things I have ever done. Plus super time-consuming. I drove to another town to give lessons 3 times a week after my office hours, went to tournaments almost every weekend, and spent most of my holiday with those guys in summer camp. But their positive energy just kept me going.

I really liked both jobs.

Still something missing

And so the years went monotonously, every day I went to purchasing manager job, trained children, and tried to play some football myself. Unill I retired happily and successfully at an age 68. Isn’t it a perfect life perspective according to books written by generations before us?

But something inside me wanted to change the traditional path laying in front of me. Maybe it was because I have been quite avarage in everything? Or because I have never given everything from myself in anything? Could have there been too many things together in my life and I wanted more clarity? Has everything come so far too easily to me? Maybe I just wanted to be cool? Is it a new traditional path for my generation? Or I just read too many blogs about digital nomadism?

So…, quit everything!

So, after having thought about it for many years, I finally took all my courage and finished everything I had perfectly set up before. I quitted my well-paying office job,  beer tasting events with friends and all my connections with football. Took my carry-on bag and girlfriend, and flew to Vietnam with a one-way ticket. Easy.

What now?

What’s going to happen now?  Do I regret quitting everything? Will I find new income? Is it fun to travel for a long time? How long will I have money? Will I find what I am searching for?  Find it out from my next stories.

By the way, how did you like the person I tried to describe here? Praise him in the comments.

6 Comments
  1. Hehe…mäletan sind jah tagasihoidlikuna aga väga tublina (laiskusest ma ei tea midagi) 😀
    Aga, et jätta kõik seljataha ning osta üheotsapilet, seda julgust pole paljudel 🙂

    1. Üheotsapileti ostmine on veits nagu kõrgelt vette hüppamine.
      Kui liiga palju ei mõtle, siis julgen hüpata ja “üheotsapileti osta”. Tõeline hirm tekib alles lennates, ehk siis nüüd siin teel olles. 🙂

  2. I have no doubt that this blog will be a perfect book of your life, because I had been reading/watching that life over letters for almost 10 years! And it is one of the best books I have ever read and never want to end. So I am glad that I can keep watching over a window from here again. Be safe, be you, wherever you are !

    1. Wow Sinem, you are cherishing me again with your endless generosity. To be honest, when I started this article, the first feeling was that I am writing again a long letter to my dear friend. Thanks to you, and those 10 years of sharing our stories through letters, I can express myself much better. Thank you!

    1. Paul, every sentence in your comment is so deep that they would make self-help books themselves. I really appreciate the advice you have given me. You have helped me a lot and I am really grateful for this. Thank you!

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