Getting Clear on How

Cathie Leimbach • October 29, 2024

Only 6% of people who set goals or try to change habits succeed. Why? According to David Horsager, the major challenge is not identifying ‘what’ they want to achieve, but rather ‘how’ they’ll get there. Change is tough, and it’s easier when broken down into small, manageable steps.


For example, if you aim to lose 30 pounds by March 31, 2025, your first ‘how’ might be to avoid candy and baked goods, and drink 4 glasses of water daily for two weeks. Then ask, ‘How’ will I avoid candy and baked goods? A good answer: throw out any candy and baked goods in your home. ‘How’ will I drink 4 glasses of water daily? Decide to drink a glass within 5 minutes of waking up, and at set times throughout the day – perhaps 12:00 noon, 3:00 pm, and 6:00 pm.


Once you have determined ‘how’ you will make the desired changes in your life, get ready to start implementing the how immediately or the next day. Waiting reduces the chances you will ever get started. When you have a plan of ‘how’ you are going to proceed and you start following the plan, you start trusting yourself. You start believing that you are capable of changing – that achieving a goal or having better habits is realistic.



The key is to get specific with your "how." Define who is going to do what, when. Then you’ll find yourself far more likely to reach your goals and create lasting change.

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