or CHAPTER VI from Marti Soosaar's e-book "A New Beginning"
I am fairly certain that, at least through ninth grade, I would not have made it to school on most days if it had not been compulsory. Mare Toompere's history classes would have been a welcome exception. The fact that I am not a complete blockhead today is thanks to the Ministry of Education of the Estonian SSR and Elsa Gretškina, who ensured that school was compulsory for children in the 1980s too.
Time has passed, but I eventually came to understand that going to school was actually good for me and that the teachers at Miina Härma Gymnasium in Tartu were not paid to torture me. By now, I have forgiven them for making me attend their classes against my will.
“If you can't manage the whole thing, do at least half” — every now and then, there are days when it feels as though there is simply too much to do or the workout seems too demanding, making it easier to take the day off altogether. I have found a solution that works for me: if I can't manage or don't feel like throwing discs for 2 hours, I still do at least a little. Sometimes an hour, sometimes less. That way, the workout still gets done, and I can take it a little easier for once.
Albert Tamm
Estonia's best disc golfer
How can we create the same kind of moderate obligation to show up for our workouts—one that will later leave us feeling nothing but grateful to ourselves and to the people who put us under pressure?
Without a doubt, the best way is to join a training group. Ideally, it would be a team sport, though dancing would work too. In these activities, every missing hand or foot makes a real difference, and if you skip a session, a public reprimand will probably have appeared in the training group's Messenger chat by the time the evening edition of Aktuaalne Kaamera airs.
That reprimand is certainly far more effective at instilling discipline than simply having to pay for the training session or put a €10 fine into the group's kitty. Once you have paid the fine, it starts to feel as though missing the session was acceptable after all because you paid for it. So instead of issuing fines, I suggest that training groups put anyone who is absent without a valid reason in a public hall of shame. Naturally, this must be done in moderation and with the utmost care, because too much pressure could lead to an unwanted outcome: the person being shamed might leave the group. Unfortunately, no one is legally required to attend training sessions (although perhaps the Government should consider it?). So let us be tactful but also persistent when admonishing absentees.
If ball games or dancing are not for you, the number of recreational groups for endurance athletes is also growing rapidly. Runners are brought together by clubs such as Jooksupartner, Head Inimesed, Sparta and Elujooks. Cross-country skiers in Tartu have Suusahullud. Wherever you live, there is bound to be a group of recreational cyclists who head “out of town” together for a few hours.
Oh, you don't know any groups like that? Really? In that case, no one is stopping you from inviting your friends to join you. Just like that, you have created both a training group and the social pressure you need. Post on Facebook that you are going for a run this evening and invite anyone interested to join you.
This was Chapter Six of Marti Soosaar's e-book "A New Beginning". If you would like to download the entire book, you can do so HERE. You can read the previous posts on our blog.
