We had just crossed mile marker 5 when my training partner Louise said, “You know, it’s not about what you did yesterday or do today, it’s about what you’re going to do in the future.”

With 1.2 miles to go I had to laugh, but realized she was right. We had set a goal of getting together for regular walks to prepare ourselves for the Monument 10K. Race day was here and we were doing it.

Now that we had reached our goal, what next? As we continued to walk, we discussed our next options. My trainer would have quickly pointed out that if I was able to talk so easily, I wasn’t working hard enough. And he would be correct.

So Louise and I are going to start training for the 8K in November. My personal goal will be to run it, which means stepping up my fitness routine – something that will make my trainer happy. It also will mean improved fitness for me and more energy. Louise and I will continue our walks and short jogs and our good conversation. We’ve mapped out the next month to be sure we remain committed.

Louise and I succeeded in completing the 10K because we followed simple, but effective steps.

1. We identified our big picture goal – to complete the 10K.
2. We broke that goal into small targets that included identifying when and where we would walk.
3. We started working toward the goal. We took our first steps on Jan. 1. It was a great way to kick off the new year.

What do you want to achieve?