What are implementation intentions?
An implementation intention is a plan written in the form “When X happens, then I will do Y.” For example: “When I sit down at my desk after lunch, then I will open the report.” The term comes from the psychologist Peter Gollwitzer, who studied how such plans help people act on their goals.
Why they work
Section titled “Why they work”A goal says what you want. An implementation intention also says when and where you’ll act. Deciding that in advance means the situation itself becomes the reminder, so you don’t have to remember the goal and decide again in the moment.
Research supports this. A meta-analysis by Gollwitzer and Sheeran (2006), combining 94 independent tests, found that people who formed implementation intentions followed through noticeably more often than people who only set the goal.
How to write a good one
Section titled “How to write a good one”- Make the cue specific and reliable. “After I pour my morning coffee” beats “in the morning”.
- Make the action small and concrete. “Take my vitamins”, not “be healthier”.
- Plan for obstacles too. “If I feel too tired to run, then I’ll walk for ten minutes.”
In Thendoo: the app is named after this idea. Every habit is written as “When … then I will …”, with an optional tiny first step. Read more in When X, then Y: the habit science behind the name Thendoo.