It was the summer of 2005. It was also the summer when I escaped death.

I was 37 years old, a regular drinker and a chronic smoker. I blamed these habits on my work pressures. No surprise, I landed up with an acute asthma attack in the ICU. After ten days there, with the help of all the good doctors, I escaped the clutches of death. (Otherwise, I would not be here writing this, would I?)

My a-ha moment happened a few days after my hospital exit when I read “What Should I Do With My Life?” by Po Bronson. This book transformed me with stories of people who found a purpose after a life changing event. It helped me decide on setting myself an audacious self-improvement goal.

I decided to become physically, emotionally, socially and financially fit.

This may sound simple. But it is a tall task for a ten kilograms overweight, given to mood swings, slightly introverted, living-in-debt kind of person.

I set about my four goals with precise planning, assigning short term objectives and tasks against each of them.

In perspective, becoming emotionally, socially and financially fit were easy. But becoming physically fit continued to be a real challenge.

I reduced fatty foods, ate in-home more often, cut out meat, and avoided the whites (white bread, white sugar, white rice and white vegetables). While all these tricks did help me reduce my weight, I was still no closer to being physically fit. I still panted while walking up a flight of stairs, and could barely walk a kilometer before breaking into a sweat.

But I did not give up. I decided that intractable problems needed even more drastic resolutions.

I did not have to search far for inspiration. My wife is a amateur long distance runner, who ran marathons and ultra marathons. Ironical, isn’t it? Looking up to her, in a moment of enthusiasm, I committed myself to a plan to run a half marathon within two years.

I started small. Real small.

I downloaded an app on my smartphone that encouraged me to walk 10,000 steps a day. I diligently kept track of my everyday steps (I still do!). There were many days when I would exhaust myself within 3000 steps. But then, there was a magical day when 10,000 steps felt within reach.

From there, I progressed to the next step. I started doing two hour treks in the hilly outskirts of Hong Kong. I would do roughly three treks a month, while not letting go of the 10,000 steps everyday.

As I was getting into the rhythm, in a twist of fate, my job transferred me to Kuala Lumpur. Settling into a new city took its toll. Its hot, humid climate and runner unfriendly roads would discourage the most avid runner. And, I was just a novice.

Then, I had a moment of reckoning. In a management meeting, my CEO proposed that all senior managers run a twelve km race together. I leapt at the opportunity and was the first to raise my hand. Most of the team dropped out, but four of us including the CEO took up the challenge.

With just three months to race day, I rediscovered the gym. It was much tougher to restart the training compared to the original slow start in Hong Kong. Every morning, my mind struggled between another thirty minutes of sleep and punishing my muscles.

But, there was also my male ego that could not back down from a challenge accepted! The sheer dread of seeing a smirk in the faces of my colleagues made me get up and out of bed every morning.

I had adequate training, but had never crossed the ten km mark in my everyday runs. There was a fear in the back of my brain that this was two kilometers more than my longest run. But, there was also the constant encouragement from my coach and running mentor, my wife.

She kept reminding me that long distance racing is a game of the mind, just as much as it is of the body. If we believe we can complete the race, we will complete the race. It was as simple as that!

Come April 2015, almost a decade after my near death experience, I stood at the starting line of the Great Eastern 12K Run in Kuala Lumpur.

And that, by itself, was an achievement.

In this long journey, I have learnt several life lessons. Firstly, set lofty goals for every major life change you wish to make, but marry it with tangible objectives. Secondly, start small. But, keep stepping up. Thirdly, there will always be diversions and obstacles. But be determined and never give up in your mind. And lastly, without exception, always seek inspiration in your partner or coach. Post script: I finished the twelve kilometers race in 1 hour and 42 minutes. I am now gunning for my first half marathon at Penang, Malaysia in November 2015!