The grade had been steadily increasing for the last half mile and now the road had become a real climb.  Despite shifting gears, each new rotation took maximum effort.  It was hard but doable, and l lurched on like this up two of the three hair pin turns. 

Then, as I was rounding the third curve, I stopped.  I knew not to, but I did it anyway.  The pedals had become hard to crank and my legs were tired, but it was nothing terrible.  My vision was blurred from the sweat on my glasses, but I could still see fine enough.  It was hot and humid, but it was August in the South.  This was nothing new.  I had no good reason to stop apart from several mild inconveniences.  Things had gotten hard and I had simply lost focus for a minute and gave in.  It was a rookie mistake and I knew better, yet here I was stopped on the side of this hill. 

I was annoyed with my decision the second after I’d made it.  Any mild relief that came from stopping paled in comparison to the situation I now faced.  Just because I stopped, it didn’t mean the hill was over.  I still had to get to the top.  But now, the only options were to restart on the steep slope or walk the bike to the top.  Neither was desirable and both were worse than had I just kept peddling my way up, no matter how slow I’d moved.  

When you go for a bike ride in Middle Tennessee, you will encounter hills.  Whether you’re out for three miles or thirty, the hills will come and they will be the hardest parts of the trek.  They aren’t hidden and they’re never a surprise.  The hills are waiting and the climb is just part of the loop.  You know this before you leave the house. 

Whatever your trek is, there will be an urge to stop on the hills.  You may tell yourself that you’re only taking a break, but this is a mistake.  Stopping when things are the toughest also means restarting when things are most difficult.  Faced with that situation, the more likely you are to turn back or stop altogether.  It’s far better to battle through the upslope and take a breath once the road flattens out.  So if your intention is to finish, resist the temptation to stop when your climb is the hardest. 

No matter what journey you choose to take, the hills will be waiting.  Regardless of whether you’re starting a business, committing to a career change, losing weight, writing a book, or simply trying to stay on a budget, resist the urge to stop during the hardest part.  You started for a reason and you started with the intent of finishing.  Go as slow as you need to go, but keep moving forward.  Keep turning the pedals one phone call, one task, one workout, or one sentence at a time.  Keep climbing.  Don’t stop on a hill.