While this flight was certainly a good confidence booster,
I realize that flying IMC is a dangerous venture, especially
for someone at my experience level.
Dan Luke wrote:
That was the exact effect my first time flying an approach alone in actual
IMC had on me. You realize that you're in a real, no-kidding, life-or-death
situation and the outcome is entirely up to you. Of course, this is also
true of crossing the street, but in instrument flying you have have a lot
more on the ball to avoid the "or death" option.

First, fly the airplane.
Everything else is secondary.