Extraordinary tasks

As a child, I had chores, and I didn’t always do them well. I cleaned the refrigerator with my dad’s help at 7. My older brother and I did laundry, and I was able to wash it and dry it ok, but struggled with folding it.

Coming into my adult life, I realized that “the impossible task” had a special appeal to me. Ordinary jobs are invisible- they can lead to minor or significant criticisms, but they rarely lead to praise.

Occasionally an interpersonal conflict has led to an impossible task, placing me into the Rumpelstiltskin story, spinning straw into gold.

Contrary to the expectations of those who placed me into these situations, I have often managed to thrive in them. They are tasks deemed impossible to those who assigned them to me. To me, they are difficult but possible. They allow me to productively and non-aggressively respond to criticism by rising above being disrespected to earn more respect.

By taking them on instead of turning them down, I have repeatedly grown, both as a person and in my career.