Best of .09    |   Best challenge of the year

I'm a serial starter, an enthusiastic idea person. You want to brainstorm? Pull up a chair, I'll heartily join you with verve.  I run headlong into new projects with good intentions and start-up energy swirling in my wake.

But there's a flip side.

My weakness shows up as I try to trudge on in that middle place where the doubts creep in.  Why am I even doing this? I'll ask. Maybe this isn't such a great idea.   Sometimes the lull is brought on by other people's opinions, sometimes it's just the loss of momentum.  Case in point: Look! Here I am in the 9th or 11th day of the year-in-review posts (depending on how you count them) and I'm starting to be late. Sigh. Typical, I scold to myself.  But I'm not really a quitter, just a fizzler.

This year my biggest challenge has been to learn how to harness the energy of that initial spark and plan for the time when the lulls come and I just don't really want to [fill in the blank] anymore and I'll need something to carry me through.

Through it, I've learned the sweetness and integrity of following through to the end, even if it means limping along for while until the spark returns.  And it does return!

I've learned that I don't have to do everything that comes across my mind, that it's okay to have idea orphans for a while.

I've realized that just because I can do something, don't mean I should do it.  I'm getting better at using my judgment to filter which ideas/projects/requests are worthwhile.

And, probably most importantly, I've learned to be kinder to my weaknesses.  They respond not to heartless, ruthless stomping but to compassion and a nice margin with plenty of room for failure.

. . .

Best of 09 year in review, Gwen Bell style. 

What was *your* best or biggest challenge this year?