Framework · Peter Gollwitzer, Paschal Sheeran and colleagues

Implementation intentions (if–then plans)

Free — no account needed to read

Linking a specific situation to a specific response — “if X, then I will Y” — delegates the start of action to the situation, helping people act on their goals.

How to use it with a real habit

• Write one if–then plan per habit.
• Write coping plans for likely obstacles.
• Use if–then plans to link an old cue to a new response.

What the evidence says

Supported by multiple studies: Many studies, often pooled in reviews or meta-analyses, point the same way. It still works better for some people and situations than others.

One of the best-studied techniques, with meta-analyses showing medium-to-large effects on goal attainment on average; effects vary by goal and some newer studies find smaller effects.

Limits

• Plans help most when the goal is genuinely wanted.
• Too many plans at once dilute each other.

Sources

• Gollwitzer (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493
• Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006). Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta-analysis of Effects and Processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. doi:10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
• Adriaanse, Gollwitzer, De Ridder, de Wit & Kroese (2011). Breaking Habits With Implementation Intentions: A Test of Underlying Processes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. doi:10.1177/0146167211399102