One if-then plan that makes an action far more likely to happen.
Length: 1:41
Voice: Ralph Varcoe
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An implementation intention is one sentence. 'If X happens, then I will do Y.' That is the entire tool. Write the plan, attach it to a habit or an action, and come back whenever you need a fresh one.
The evidence behind this is unusually strong for something so small. Peter Gollwitzer at New York University published the key paper in 1999, and a later meta-analysis across 94 studies found a medium to large effect on goal attainment. It has been tested on exercise, voting, vaccination, healthy eating, and revision, amongst others.
The mechanism is that you decide in advance, at a calm moment, rather than in a moment when you're tired or the decision can go in another direction. The cue does the remembering for you.
Write it properly to get the effect. The 'if' has to be a specific, detectable situation. 'If I feel like skipping the gym' is weak, because feelings are hard to catch. 'If it is Tuesday at six and I'm still at my desk, then I will pack up and walk to the gym' is a version that will actually work. The 'then' has to be a single, concrete behaviour, not a state of mind.
One sentence, two minutes, and it gives you the better odds than almost anything else here to make sure that you get actions done.