Habit technique · Goals & planning · A few minutes
Make an action plan
Level: Beginner · Free — no account needed to read
Decide in advance when, where and how you’ll do the habit, and put it somewhere you’ll see — your calendar, your habit list.
Why it may help
A plan moves the decision out of the moment. When the time comes, there’s nothing left to decide, only to do.
When to use it
- A habit keeps drifting to “later”
- Your week is busy and the habit gets crowded out
- Starting something new
How to apply it
- Choose the days.
- Choose the time or the moment in your routine.
- Choose the place.
- Write how you’ll do it, including the first step.
- Put it in your calendar or in My Habits.
An example
“Tuesday and Thursday, 7pm, spare room, practise guitar — start by tuning up.”
The common mistake
Planning for an ideal week instead of the week you actually have.
Practise it
Book one habit into next week’s calendar with a time and place.
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.
Action planning is well supported in health-behaviour research, especially combined with coping plans for obstacles. Plans help most when the goal is genuinely wanted.
Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) codes: 1.4.
Sources
- Sniehotta, Scholz & Schwarzer (2005). Bridging the intention–behaviour gap: Planning, self-efficacy, and action control in the adoption and maintenance of physical exercise. Psychology & Health. doi:10.1080/08870440512331317670
- Schwarzer (2008). Modeling Health Behavior Change: How to Predict and Modify the Adoption and Maintenance of Health Behaviors. Applied Psychology. doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.2007.00325.x
Problems it helps with
- “I remember, but I don’t start.” — You know it’s time. You even think about it. And then you do something else.
- “I never have time.” — The day fills up, and the habit is always the thing that gets pushed out.
Lessons behind it
- Action plans and scheduling — When, where and how — and giving the habit a real place in your week. (5 min · Beginner)
- Choosing a cue — Time, place, a preceding event or a person — and which kind fits your life. (6 min · Beginner)