preparing for your Interview with light

Hey there,

Light Watkins here. As a long-time podcaster, I understand what it takes to prep for an interview with the author of a new book.

And I want to help you save time by providing you with everything you’ll need to make our interview dynamic and as engaging as possible for your audience.

Below, you’ll find:

Myth vs. Reality when it comes to change

Myth: Willpower, motivation, and discipline drive change.
Reality: Unless you’re David Goggins, life will outlast your discipline. Brutal honesty about what you can sustain on your average busy day is far more powerful.

Myth: You can opt out of change, or avoid it altogether.
Reality: Change is inevitable. Your only real choice is how you approach it: blow up your life (unsustainable), wait for crisis (painful), or take small, self-selected actions you can sustain.

Myth: It takes 30 or 90 days to build momentum.
Reality: Seven days of baby steps is the most sustainable way to spark lasting change.

Myth: Positivity without evidence is “toxic” or bypassing.
Reality: Believing before you see is one of the fastest ways to create the life you want. At the very least, replace being “anti” anything with becoming “pro” what you want to experience.

Myth: Change must start with action.
Reality: Change starts with the questions you ask, and the stories you tell yourself. Most people ask “sloppy questions,” and they convince themselves of “I can’t” stories, which sabotages their efforts. Make a habit of asking yourself stronger questions, and change is inevitable.

In the conversation, Light can share with your audience:

  • Story-driven examples of each myth vs. reality

  • A host of 7-day mini challenges to help jumpstart change

  • Mindset shifts that make growth inevitable, not exhausting

The Year You Transform Summary

The Year You Transform, is my 5th book.

It’s a manual for creating lasting change, 7 days at a time, without the need for motivation, willpower, or blowing up your life. In it, I show the reader:

  • “The Tortoise Approach" framework for initiating change.

  • Ten 7-Day Challenges to start with.

  • The template for creating their own 7-day challenge.

  • Mindset shifts for accessing their full potential.

  • Case studies from those who’ve applied these principles

The tenets of the Tortoise Approach

  • Define success on your terms - set yourself up for an early win

  • Commit to just 7 days - a doable length of time for anyone

  • Opt for consistency over intensity - what can you do on your average busy day, not your perfect day

  • Less is more when it comes to your commitment — take your baby steps, and divide them up into baby crawls

  • Avoid “weak” questions — weak questions keep you in your comfort zone. And strong questions move you toward growth.

  • Be pro-what you want – Don’t define yourself by what you’re against (e.g., “anti-alcohol”). Instead, frame it around what you’re for (e.g., “pro-awareness”). This keeps your focus on building the future you want, rather than resisting the past.

  • Never rely on motivation or discipline — instead, opt for brutal honesty and stop-gaps to follow through

  • Believe it in order to see it – If you believe something is possible for you, you’ll be 40% more likely to experience it. Use the placebo effect to your advantage when it comes to change.

The 7-Day Challenges in the Book

  1. Addiction-Free Challenge

  2. Meditation Challenge

  3. Gratitude Challenge

  4. Cold Exposure Challenge

  5. Walk Your Errands Challenge

  6. Forgiveness Challenge

  7. Physical Feat Challenge

  8. No Complaining Challenge

  9. Scary “Yes” Challenge

  10. Purge Challenge

  11. Create Your Own Challenge

it was Written in a single weekend?

The Year You Transform was inspired by my year-long coaching program, Your Year of Transformation, and more than five years of leading personal growth challenges inside of my online community, The Happiness Insiders.

Over the years of shepherding people through the change process, I’ve witnessed a clear pattern: lasting change doesn’t come from blowing up your life or waiting for a crisis — instead, it comes from small, self-selected actions that people can sustain, even on their busiest days.

Drawing from the fable of the tortoise and the hare, I named it The Tortoise Approach.

Then, after hearing about a friend of a friend who ran a self-organized solo 100-mile race in under 72 hours, I challenged myself to see if I could write the entire 200-page manuscript for The Year You Transform in a single weekend — which I successfully completed in November of 2024.

The digital version of the book was published in the summer of 2025. And the paperback was self-published in the fall of 2025. I opted not to go with a publisher for this book, because I wanted to have more control over my relationship with the audience.

interview Questions For Light

  1. What do most people get wrong about the change process?

  2. Can you talk about the three paths to change, and which one is the most realistic?

  3. Do you believe that anyone change? And if so, what’s the best way to get started?

  4. You’re a big believer in the “less is more” approach to change. Why is that?

  5. Which of the mindset principles in the book tend to create the biggest breakthroughs for people?

  6. Can you talk about your Pro vs. Anti approach? Why is it good to be Pro-something over anti–?

  7. You talk a lot about “weak” versus “strong” questions. What are some examples of each?

  8. Why did you settle on 7-day challenges as a catalyst for transformation?

  9. Out of the ten challenges, which challenge tends to surprise people the most in its impact?

  10. When have you personally used the Tortoise Approach to create a major change in your own life?

  11. What’s one of your favorite stories from someone who’s applied the principles in this book?

  12. How can someone create their own challenge?

About Light

Light Watkins is a bestselling author, speaker, podcast host, and mindfulness expert who’s all about helping people find presence and fulfillment from the inside out. He’s the author of five books, including Bliss More, Travel Light, and his newest, The Year You Transform.

Light has spoken on stages for Fortune 500 companies, led workshops on nearly every continent, and built a thriving online community called The Happiness Insiders.

For five years, he lived completely out of a single backpack—walking his talk about living with purpose, presence, and authenticity.

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have questions?

You can email us at light@lightwatkins.com