I will say that I am an active person. This does not mean particularly athletic or in good physical shape, although that is definitely a goal of mine. I am active in projects. Somehow people are attracted to my intellect and I get pulled into a variety of businesses, ventures, ideas, plans, and events. I also find myself signing up, offering, applying, and creating many projects willingly, because my interests are varied and I love to learn. This can be a big problem, because once a project or initiative is accepted, one must follow through with the commitment. If the project is not enjoyed, the requirement is still to complete the project and then not to take on a similar initiative in the future. Someone with a personality like mine is a “yes” person. Even if I know I have no time and that possibly the idea does not interest me, I almost always say yes when asked to help someone start, continue, or expand a business, or even to listen to their plan and give feedback.

Living in the Land of Opportunity there is so much that an individual can do. All one needs is a good idea, some organizational skills and the right contacts to get it done. It could be that one individual has the idea and then another has the organizational skills and yet another has the contacts and people skills. Whatever the venture, more than one person is needed. This is where being a yes person comes in to play. By saying yes to everyone who asks for me to listen, interpret their plan, advise their steps or join their team, I expand my network and also learn about the myriad of interest areas that make a society function. I find out about new ideas, new ways of thinking about something or completing something, better efficiencies, new technology, as well as support networks and incubators.

The downside to all of this is the time it consumes. It also requires relentless effort and a lot of individual strength, as being so involved in many projects takes away time from the closest relationships, while dividing time between various projects does not allow for getting too close to any other person. This also leads to stress and becoming a workaholic. Another downfall is fatigue, poor output of work and losing interest in projects.

Some important lessons I have learned in the past year are these. It is perfectly OK to request time to think about the idea before committing. It is also OK to say no. It is important to be organized and have a partner to share the progress with. It is also important to admit mistakes and admit when you have taken on too much. The network of people you have built is beneficial to delegating some of the work and providing expansion of others’ interests and contributions. At the end of it all, the most important part of anything is the people and relationships. One must not get so sucked in that you forget to live.