unpleasant tasks

The posts about discipline and conflict are really part of something that's been on my mind a lot lately. They both fall under the category of things we, specifically me, must do that are unpleasant. Hardly earth shattering for sure, but highly relevant within the context of exploring the limits of my comfort zone.

Work, and other things, but let's stick to work for now, forces many decisions upon me that are often choosing between two undesirable options. (The parallels with electing modern political candidates is stunning no doubt.) This is not to say that the situations were not preventable or that we needed to end up at the decision we are forced to now make. In fact, many of the most difficult decisions would have never had to be made if everything actually went as planned. No one really wants to make crisis decisions because it means you've managed to work yourself into a crisis position in the first place. While some people may thrive, or claim to thrive, in a crisis, no one should really want to be in a place that has no desirable options, only least undesirable options.

A couple years ago, a friend of mine, who we'll call Jack, touched on the difference between the correct decision versus the perfect decision in one of his many posts about poker and the various lessons to be learned. This is the problem with limited information. We make the best decision we can, with the information we have at that time. I can think of at least two decisions in the last month that I believe were the correct decision, but were almost certainly not the perfect decision. This is the clarity of hindsight and having to live with not just your second guesses, but those of everyone else. I know when I've learned from an event or a mistake because I know what's going on in my head. Bases on how many times people repeat things to me, I'm fairly certain that most people don't realize how quickly I learn. This is something that I can accept pretty easily, or I must accept pretty often, because it is a necessary ability.

Back to the topic at hand, difficult tasks and decisions. I need to take them on every day at work. It's part of being a pseudo-manager (or actual manager) and part of growing up. Responsibility is really what I get paid for. I am paid o a degree for the things I know and even a few things I can do. But ultimately, I bring down lower-management pay to keep the ship in order and make the day-to-day operating decisions. Decisions that force me to, quite simply, be an adult about it. In order to do my job well, I need to be responsible for everything I do.