Implementation intention

What It Means

An implementation intention is a plan written in if-then form that says exactly when, where and how you'll act on a goal: "If situation X comes up, then I will do Y." A goal says what you want; the if-then plan picks the moment you'll act and the action you'll take. Researchers describe it as linking a cue in your surroundings to a response you've decided on ahead of time, so the action is ready to go when the moment arrives.

How People Say It

• "If it's 7 a.m., then I'm on the treadmill."
• "My rule is: when I get home, the gym bag goes by the door."
• "I made an if-then plan for the afternoon slump."

The Breakdown

How to write one

1. Start with a goal you already care about, such as reading more or cooking at home.
2. Pick the "if": a specific moment or place that happens in your normal week, like "when I sit on the train" or "Monday at 8 p.m."
3. Choose the "then": one concrete action you can start right there, such as "open my book."
4. Write it as one sentence: "If ___, then I will ___."
5. For a known obstacle, add a second plan: "If I feel too tired after work, then I'll do 1010,000 stepsA popular daily step goal that began as the name of a 1960s Japanese pedometer; later studies find health benefits begin well below it. See more minutes instead of skipping."

Examples (Buhata's own)

Short version to try today. Take one goal you keep putting off and write a single if-then sentence for it, with a real time or place in the "if."

Where It Comes From

Implementation intentions come from the research of psychologist Peter Gollwitzer, whose work on goals and planning is collected by New York University's Motivation Lab. Later researchers combined them with mental contrasting, a technique from the same lab, and that pairing became the WOOP methodWOOP methodA four-step goal method from psychologist Gabriele Oettingen: name a Wish, picture the Outcome, name your inner Obstacle, then make an if-then Plan. See more.

Good to Know

The plan works best when the "if" is a moment you'll actually meet and the "then" is small enough to start on the spot. A meta-analysis on PubMed Central, "A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Mental Contrasting With Implementation Intentions on Goal Attainment," found that pairing if-then plans with mental contrasting improved goal attainment in health, school and relationship goals. Results in studies are averages across groups, so treat the plan as a tool to test on yourself.

Related Terms and Categories

• WOOP method

  A four-step goal method from psychologist Gabriele Oettingen: name a Wish, picture the Outcome, name your inner Obstacle, then make an if-then Plan.

• Habit stacking

  James Clear's name for building a new habit by tying it to one you already do, using the formula "After I do my current habit, I will do my new habit."

• Habit loop

  The three-part pattern behind a habit, as described by Charles Duhigg: a cue that triggers it, the routine you do, and the reward that makes it stick.

• Procrastination

  Putting off a task you intended to do, even though you expect the delay to leave you worse off, often to escape how the task makes you feel.

• SMART goals

  Goals written to pass five tests: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, an idea first published by George T. Doran in 1981.

Productivity methods and focus