Lately, I've been cycling to the office. It takes about 20 minutes from home to work, not too far, but there are two hills so steep that every time I ride over them, I feel like passing out.
At first, I'd force myself to climb all the way. The consequence? The next day I'd be exhausted, sometimes even considering working from home or buying a bus pass to recover—which would mean losing a good habit altogether.
After a few weeks, I changed my strategy: whenever I reach the hill, I get off and walk leisurely. It's 5-10 minutes slower, but the next day I still have energy to continue.
"The only enemy you have is yourself."
I used to think I had to be strong, had to "climb hills" at maximum speed. But actually, the biggest enemy is my own stubbornness. Knowing when to get off the bike, when to let it coast, that's how you go the distance.
If you're at a steep hill in your life, maybe the solution isn't to force yourself to climb faster, but to accept walking for a bit. Slow but still moving forward is better than pushing too hard and... stopping completely.