Setting goals is always easy, and getting started with them is even easier... But as time goes on goals slip away, habits good and bad return, and soon it becomes true that the goal you'd been so ready to meet has slipped away into nothing, and is forgotten.

When these goals start to slip, it should be looked at as a hill: the further you slip, the further away you are from where you want to be. But if you push forward, and take on that hill, if you strive and continue on, push just a little harder, walk just a little further, you'll reach your stride and make that goal.

The hills for me are physical. In an attempt to make my goal of being healthy, being stronger and running a race, I've hit physical hills. I've wanted to stop and give up, to not run anymore; my sides and knees hurt, my lungs were screaming for relief, but up I went, just one more time, one more hill, one last step.

Pushing forward I made it over that hill, and into an easy stride back home. I made my goal that day, and I've inspired myself to continue on, and apply it to other goals-- less physical goals. Hills come up in all kinds of places; we face them at work when our bosses tell us we can do more and we can do better. We hit them at home when bills and stress pile up and overwhelm, and even in relationships when our partners are pulled away.

But I know, from experience, if you look at the top, and you push to get there, you'll make it. You just can't give up, you can't stop because you'll fall, and if you do fall, just pick it back up try again and continue on.

Make it over the first hill, and everything that comes after is so much easier.