You’ve heard the old expression, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

How that saying ever even came into existence is the stuff of nightmares, I’m sure of it. Even with my widely-known disdain for felines, I still shudder to think about why in the world someone would skin a cat, let alone conjure up multiple ways to get the job done. It’s just one of the weirdest, yet unquestioned expressions we humans seem to be okay with.

But therein lies an important issue: It’s the issue of “How?” Let’s think about that for a second. (Not the cat part, just in general.)

No matter who you are, there’s a thing you want to do, or become, or accomplish, or a place you want to get to physically, or socially, or financially, or spiritually. If you don’t get the How into a chokehold and wrestle it into submission, then whatever that aspiration is will certainly remain just that: an aspiration.

When we get into the details of How, we begin to lay out what steps are needed in order to move from here to there. It’s intimidating at first, but only at first — once you begin to lay it out, it quickly begins to feel less like an ogre and more like an opportunity.

Where have you found the How to be a daunting barrier, and how have you tackled it bit-by-bit in order to shrink it down to size?

Here are some “what’s” that are currently a part of my life that have been (or need to be) given “how’s” in order to see progress:

• Replacing/updating a broken door handle on our front door (and repainting the door while we’re at it).
• Strengthening (ongoingly) my vocabulary and understanding of systematic theology.
• Losing an average of 1 lb. per month over the span of 2026.
• Increasing and improving my blog posting rhythm.
• Budgeting finances in order to reinforce strong habits, avoid debt, and bless others.
• Establishing a cadence of grandchild interaction so that we are a regular part of her life (with more to come).

I’d love to hear about your How’s and what you’re learned along the journey of skinning cats.