Yesterday I bought a new pair of running shoes. Behind me were my old shoes’ cruelties: pinched toes, tingling feet and a sense that I was slogging through mud. Over the last month, my running motivation had begun to wane (unrelated to shoes) and what was once a joyful ritual was becoming a monotonous chore. But today, lacing up the new shoes filled me with an eagerness and enthusiasm I hadn’t felt in quite a while. A fresh start.

Cracking the spine of a brand new Moleskin notebook brings on the same sense of lightness and enthusiasm, with the blank page awaiting notes, insights and sketches. Add a new pen that’s just right—smooth handling and a thin but dark line—and suddenly ideas just want to jump onto the page.

Enthusiasm can be transformative. My favorite work experience this year came when I assigned a story to a writer who had subject matter expertise but had never before written a feature story (or anything for a magazine, for that matter). But his enthusiasm was confidence-inspiring and contagious, and when he said, “I promise I won’t let you down,” well, I couldn’t help but smile. I knew the draft would be top-notch. (It was.) What a pleasure to work with someone who radiated this enthusiasm!

Unfortunately, at some point enthusiasm usually wanes. Once, I was talking with a friend of mine who is a painter, and I mentioned that I had a discouraging day. I said something like, “When we plan a magazine issue, we have such an exciting vision of the stories, how it’ll hold together, how it will inspire. Then when the drafts come in, reality hits. Stories are too long. Too short. Uninspiring. Overdone. Disorganized. Almost always they fall short of expectation.” She said, “I experience the same thing with every painting. The actual painting rarely lives up to my hope for it.” Somehow, I found comfort that this was just part of the creative process (and not that I was “doing it wrong”). There is a gap between what we dream of creating and the reality. I’ve noticed this gap is where enthusiasm can wane.

A goal for me this year is to hold onto enthusiasm deeper and deeper into creative projects. When enthusiasm flags, I plan to remind myself to look for a new approach or tool to get that fresh start feeling. Or I’ll hitch a ride on the co-tails of an enthusiastic colleague or friend. Turning to inspiring music or literature works wonders, too.

If my newfound eagerness for morning runs lasts as long as my shoes (should be good for 500 miles), I’ll be well on my way.