The if-then plan: a simple way to connect intention to behavior

Most of our good intentions do not come to mind at the moment we need to remember them. In the evening we say "tomorrow morning I will get up early and go for a walk", and in the morning we switch off the alarm and the day begins. This gap between intention and behavior is one of the best-known problems in personal development.

What is an if-then plan?

This method, which the psychologist Peter Gollwitzer calls "implementation intentions", is very simple: you attach a goal to a specific situation. The pattern is as follows.

If [a specific situation] happens, then I do [a specific action].

For example, instead of "I will exercise with good intentions", "If I get home from work, then I put on my shoes and walk for ten minutes." A review published by Gollwitzer and Sheeran in 2006 reports that many studies found plans of this kind support reaching goals to a medium to large degree. So there is a solid body of research behind the method.

Why does it work?

The plan makes the decision in advance. When the situation arises you do not need to think "What should I do?", because you have already written the answer. The situation also becomes the reminder for the action. The mind notices the cue you specified more easily.

Qualities of a good if-then plan

• The trigger should be concrete. "If I have time" is vague. "If I have come back from lunch" is clear.
• The action should be small. Instead of "I write the whole report", "I write the first paragraph."
• It should cover obstacles too. Predict the moment you will struggle and write a plan for it.

Three kinds of examples

For starting: "If I have made my morning coffee, then I write my priority in one sentence."

Against obstacles: "If the urge to procrastinate comes, then I start for just two minutes."

For attention: "If my attention drifts, then I return to a single task."

Common mistakes when writing plans

• Writing too many plans. One or two plans are enough at the start.
• Writing plans whose trigger does not happen every day. The plan should fit easily into your life.
• Making the action big. A small action can be done on a hard day too.

The if-then plan in Kendime Söz

On the "My if-then plans" screen in the Profile tab you fill in two fields: "If" and "Then". The full sentence appears below. If you like, you are reminded every day at the time you choose, and your plans also enter the pool of the sentence of the day. So your own plan may come back to you one day.