It is of course; easiest if someone can assist you in putting your corset on but this rarely an option so you handle the task by yourself. All woman are not Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind and do not have an assistant to pull the ribbons tight while they hold onto the bed post. You will want to loosen the lacing enough for you to get into it. Once you are into the corset, fasten up the front clasp, starting at the top and working downward. Now comes the tricky part. Reach around to the back and gently pull the loops and tighten the lacing, progressing toward the center from the bottom and the top. This may seem tough the first few times but you will get used to it. Don't try to look in the mirror to do this; it will only frustrate you that everything is backwards.
There is a method called Tight lacing that someone practice for a waistline rewarding tactic. It is the act in which the wearer typically wears their corset night and day, constantly pulling the waste tighter. Once a reduction of two to four inches occurs, the wearer then graduates down to a smaller size corset. This is repeated until the wearer reaches their goal waist size. This does stir up some controversy of being unhealthy or harmful to your body but most feel if done properly it can be effective and not hurtful.
It is also important to always remember when wearing your corset for the first few times it is absolutely of the utmost importance to give your corset that break in period that it needs. This not only prevents damage to the corset but it also prevents your body from feeling discomfort.