What Does Not Kill Us

Makes us stronger. 
When we persevere through the challenges of life, we are changed by the experience.  Just as the immune system develops the ability to fight of illnesses the body has endured, the mind and body learn to resist other challenges.  

A big project I am working on this year included a collaborator, who didn't collaborate.  At the 11th hour, he emailed saying, I have not gotten anything done on this project. He had read the work that I had done, and he said it was solid and good and he really didn't have anything to add to it.  

I was not surprised by his email.  I have been down this road before.  From past experience, I had figured out weeks ago, that he likely was not working on the project.  When I faced the choice of relying on him, and coming up short, or picking up the entire project (doing analysis outside my training or expertise) and produced the best project I could.  Based on past experience, I knew if I relied on someone who was mostly unresponsive, it would not be a good outcome. I put in the hours,  and pulled it off.  It was not perfect, but it was beyond my experience and training.  

In the process I learned two things.  How do more in-depth data analysis (I didn't take statistics or research methods in College.)  And to trust my assessment that a collaborator isn't collaborating.  

Why did he not deliver.  My experience tells me that something is going on in his personal or professional life.  I don't know if he isn't feeling well, if it is a relationship issue, a family member, but something is going on.  

Past experience, got me to this point, this experience will get me to the next.  

What has made you stronger this year?