As I walked I thought how climbing a hill was an appropriate analogy for goal-setting. There are many ways to climb a hill and equally as many ways to climb toward a goal. 
The birth of the famous San Francisco cable car came out of the need to find some way to get up the steep slopes because ordinary tramways couldn't drive up the hills. San Fran's famous "crookedest street in the world", Lombard St., was designed with 8 sharp switchback turns out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's 27% grade, which was too steep for most vehicles to climb.  

What happens when you set a STRETCH goal - when you begin to climb a steep hill?  Do you start out quickly...lose energy half-way and/or abandon the hill altogether?  Do you go at a steady pace to the top or switchback your way there like Lombard Street? Do you even attempt to climb a steep hill at all? 
 
WAYS TO APPROACH YOUR LIFE'S HILLS:
 
1/ When you climb, be sure to look ahead, not down - Keeping your eye on the goal and keeping the goal in sight is both motivational and inspirational. That is what will keep you climbing.
 
2/ Create your own Switchback -  It is all about incremental improvement.  Each step you take gets you closer to your goal. Celebrate each "switchback" - celebrate each fork in the road, each step closer to your goal.  The entire hill does not have to be scaled in one go-round.
   
3/ Be creative - If the hill to your goal is seriously too steep, then acknowledge and accept it...and then be creative about other ways you could get to your final destination. Maybe it is time to give yourself a break and ride a cable car for a while?  That is OK too!

 

4/ Curb your wheels - If you do need to stop in your quest ahead, be sure to "curb your wheels" so you don't backslide.  When you are ready to move again, just switch into gear, release your emergency brake and gun it!