The “How?” Treadmill

There is a time and a place for the question, “How?” but it’s not where we should begin. This is what Peter Block, the author of the book, The Answer to How Is Yes, argues. He says that “How?” and its variations often have assumptions built in. “In any of its hundreds of variations, when we ask How? (sic) we are really making a statement: What we lack is the right tool. The right methodology. We are mechanics who cannot find the right wrench. The question How? not only expresses doubt about whether we know enough and are enough; it also affirms the belief that what works is the defining question, a major source of our identity.” 

When we begin with how, we often get trapped in doing only the things we already know how to do rather than taking risks. If we don’t have the security of “how,” we don’t take action. He writes, “There is depth in the question “How do I do this?” that is worth exploring. The question is a defense against the action. It is a leap past the question of purpose, past the question of intentions, and past the drama of responsibility. The question, How?—more than any other question—looks for an answer outside of us. It is an indirect expression of our doubts.”   

“I don’t change because I don’t know how” can be a wonderful way to avoid responsibility for next steps that have already occurred to us. My experience is that I’ve often procrastinated by looking for the right “how” instead of doing the next small steps in front of me. Block puts it this way: “What is really interesting about How? is that we are asking a question to which we already have the answer. In fact, we have a large group of answers because we have been asking How? for a long time. We have been collecting answers for years, and yet we still keep asking the question.” 

Before diving into “how,” it is important to slow down to get really clear about the question “What matters and why?” 

This week, I invite you to examine:

Where in my life am I stuck on a “How?” treadmill (an idea from Peter Block)? What are the next steps that I’ve already thought to take? 

Why does taking these next steps matter? Are they worth taking? When will I take them?

God bless,
Dan