Yesterday, I ran my fastest 10k to date: 45 minutes and 50 seconds, a whole 20 minutes faster than my first 10,000 meters just 6 months ago.

My time isn't impressive by any means, but I was very proud of myself. It was similar to when I ran my first 5k in 32 minutes (current best time is 21 minutes), I could barely catch my breath but the feeling of accomplishment made it so worth it.

It was indeed a big achievement for me: before that, just the thought of running to catch a bus would make me exhausted, and yet here I was running non-stop for half an hour. I achieved my goal and I lost interest for months. I only resumed my running career because I wanted to shave some pounds off.

This time, though, I kept raising the bar as I achieved my goals. I beat my 5k time, then I ran my first 10k, then I did it faster. Setting new goals and challenging myself pushed me beyond what I thought it was possible for me. I almost enjoy running now.

45:50 might be close to my physical limit, and I'm only getting older by the day. Still, I wonder how much faster and how much further I can go. So I just did what I've been doing, I raised the bar once again: my goals for this year are to run a 5k under 20 minutes, a 10k in 40, and to run my first marathon.

Having goals gives me the sense of direction I need. I do the same with my photography and my lifestyle. Raising the bar once we achieve them is as important, if not more, than the goals themselves.