summits

I rode up a hill today.
it was one of those winding, twisting ones ~ for once, not in a canyon ~ where you could see for miles, see the wide sweeping expanse of hill falling away below and stretching away above the road, see the sky unobscured by canyon walls and tall towering trees, and, at times, see glimpses of what might possibly be the summit.
there was a spot where I could see cars a half mile ahead of me motoring up what appeared to be the edge of the hill, silhouettes in front of the open sky behind them. as I curved around with the road to reach that very spot, my perspective changed dramatically, as it always does. neither I, nor the cars ahead of me, were on a dramatic edge, and neither of us were close to the top, either.
I thought time and again that I was catching sight of the summit, and time and again I was wrong. however, I knew it was there, knew I was on the road to it, and knew that I would eventually get there.
I was riding a single road, approaching a single summit, and I knew I would, at some point, reach that summit.
and that's how it goes.
you can only travel one path and aim for one summit at a time.
there may be a list of other peaks you ache to, intend to, plan to, or scheme to eventually climb, but the fact of the matter is, they are only conquered one by one.
through commitment, courage, and determination.
with focus, with fuel, and with faith.
one road at a time.

you can set as many goals as you choose, and they may be short-term, long-term, or some combination of the two, but the quickest way to tick them off your list is to pick the one that is most within your reach, get on the path, and start moving. pedaling along, catching glimpses ~ whether real or imaginary ~ of that summit, and focusing on getting to that peak.
it may appear to move, your perspective may change again and again along the way, but if you refuse to give up, I have faith that the summit will, at some point, be reached.

which is when you pause, gently pat yourself on the back, and set your sights on another summit on another road.