How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Why do we so often know exactly what we should do - exercise more, save money, eat healthier - yet still fail to do it? Wharton professor Katy Milkman has spent her career answering that exact question. In How to Change, she reveals the hidden traps that sabotage our best intentions and delivers a science-backed toolkit to finally overcome them. This isn't vague inspiration; it's a practical, research-driven roadmap to lasting transformation.

What is this book about?
Katy Milkman, co-director of the prestigious Behavior Change for Good Initiative, identifies five primary roadblocks that prevent us from changing: impulsivity, procrastination, forgetfulness, laziness, and a lack of confidence. Instead of blaming weak willpower, she shows us how to strategically outsmart these obstacles using simple yet powerful interventions.

Key takeaways you will learn from this book:

• The Fresh Start Effect: Why January 1st, Mondays, and birthdays are your secret weapons for launching new habits.
• Temptation Bundling: The highly effective strategy of pairing something you should do (like listening to a podcast) with something you want to do (like going to the gym).
• The Power of Commitment: Proven techniques like "Ulysses contracts" to hold yourself accountable and prevent future regret.
• Gamification & Incentives: How to turn your goals into a game and structure rewards that actually work.
• Overcoming Forgetfulness: Simple environmental nudges that keep your long-term goals top-of-mind.

Who should read this book?
If you have ever started a diet, a savings plan, or an exercise regime only to abandon it weeks later, this book is the missing piece. Whether you are a CEO looking to shift company culture, a parent hoping to instill better habits in your kids, or simply someone who wants to stop hitting snooze, Milkman gives you the scientific strategies to finally move from "where you are" to "where you want to be."