Eesti
Meet Me Monday: Rain Pärn
1.Introduce yourself shortly.
I am very active, stubborn, mostly happy, encouraging, competitive and restless 33-year-old Estonian. I don’t have a sports car but I will buy one when I turn 40.
I like sports, sincere people, acts of goodwill, travelling, adventure, self-development, smart people, stupid people, dogs, underground culture, the sun and the sea. I would like to read more books and have more leisure time before I turn 40 to enjoy my car.
2.Three facts about yourself.
I was born one billion four hundred sixty-seven million four hundred thirty-four thousand three hundred twenty-four seconds ago from the moment of answering these questions.
I speak 5 languages: fluent Estonian and English, mediocre Russian, lousy French and YLE TV 3 Finnish.
Sometimes I have trouble with airline bookings because of the second letter “ä” in my surname.
3.What do you like the most in EBS?
The people I have met during my studies, the cyclical study format for scheduling, the supportive and encouraging environment and the belief that we are being taught and that our aspirations and efforts are being recognize
4.What’s the best and the worst thing about being in charge of a business / project?
The best thing is that one can always find ways to improve and the worst thing is that you can’t always improve others without improving yourself first.
5.Do you have any hobbies?
I love all sorts of (action) sports such as snowboarding, kitesurf, downhill MTB etc. Until recently, I thought XC skiing is for grandpas and the Finns but I have become to love it so much that I have skied around 1000km this season and participated in four XC marathons – in Estonia, Italy, Germany and Norway. In general, all sorts of sports are more enjoyable for me outdoors in nature.
I also enjoy travelling, reading and pushing myself to new limits.
6.What do you do on your day off?
Depends on the mood. You might find me engaged in one of my hobbies or spending time with friends or family. I try my best to be there for them but as I am always busy this doesn’t always work out too well. Sometimes I enjoy underground techno clubs and alternative music festivals, especially Kalana Sound in Hiiumaa which combines great atmosphere with awesome people and beautiful nature.
7.Describe your daily schedule from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep.
Usually, I wake up at around 6 and go to the office to tackle the tasks that need concentration and thinking. Sometimes I use this time for studies or home assignments.
From 9am onwards, when the office gets populated, I deal with daily tasks, attend a lot of meetings, ask a lot of questions and sometimes give some advice. I try to stay as focused and effective as possible but probably it looks like a dog chasing his tail.
Not all the days are similar and I have some where I silence my phone and emails and concentrate on thinking how to improve something. This is what I like the most. I try and have at least one lunch a week with a friend or someone I can talk to about casual stuff.
I finish at around 6 or 7pm and usually head for some sort of sports or meet friends. Once a week, I take a massage and quite often enjoy the sauna. Twice a month I attend Round Table Estonia meetings which are very educative, supportive and eye-opening.
This Friday we went to the gym and sauna with the fellow students from EBS. Since I began my studies, I haven’t really had whole weekends off except for when I attend a ski marathon or travel to a short city break. Although it seems strange, I love this schedule and believe it suits me well although I do admit that I have had to find balance to reload my batteries – for me, the balance is provided by the sports.
8.If you could have any superpower which one would you choose?
Understanding of our universe, things like time, space, event horizon etc.
9.Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I don’t know. I believe that Anthony Robbins is right when he claims that we overestimate our capabilities in short term but at the same time strongly underestimate our potential and achievements over a longer time period. If there is one thing I would want to tell other people who are looking for change in their life is to be consistent and to work for it – whatever you desire is possible, it probably just takes more time than you expect but the results will also be much more impressive than you might have thought. Maybe this doesn’t work for everyone but it has worked for me in several ways and dimensions in this life.
10.Your favorite quote.
Perhaps a Chinese proverb – “Behind every able man, there are always other able men.”
We can achieve a lot of things but we can’t do it alone and we should not forget to recognize those who support us.
Translator: Triin Tikk
Editor: Kart Mättikas
Photo: Rain Pärn
