How to Tackle Stubborn Goals: Implementation Intentions

What to do with those stubborn to-dos?

Do you have items on your to-do list that never get done? Tasks you meant to have crossed off ages ago, but instead they linger and get pushed back forever? Or how about those “little” things you want to do regularly (daily sets of push-ups, perhaps? connecting with friends?), but somehow they keep falling through the cracks?

In general, do you find some of your goals particularly hard to put into practice?

Try “implementation intentions”

A technique that helps is to “script” our intended actions in more specific terms by deciding exactly how, when and where we are going to accomplish each of our tasks. Peter Gollwitzer, a psychologist who has done a lot of research on this, calls those plans implementation intentions. It may be an awkward term, but it stands for a very powerful strategy for self-regulation. The idea is that we should not just form goal intentions (“I intend to achieve X”), but form implementation intentions instead (“I intend to perform specific goal-directed behavior Y when I encounter situation Z”).

We can also think of implementation intentions as action triggers. As an example, I could tell myself “whenever I’m home and I feel cold, I’ll do a set of push-ups or jumping squats. Only after that will I put on a sweater or turn up the heater”. In that case, “feeling cold” would serve as an action trigger for a quick workout.

Do implementation intentions really work?

Action triggers like these can be surprisingly effective. For example, experiments with interventions have been successful in improving exercise behavior in firefighters, or in helping people establish a healthier diet. One study looked at older patients who were recovering from hip or knee replacement surgery. Some of them were asked to set action triggers for their recovery exercises—something like, “I’ll do my range-of-motion extensions every morning after I finish my first cup of coffee.” The other group did not receive any coaching on action triggers. The results were dramatic: the patients who used action triggers recovered more than twice as fast, standing up on their own in three and a half weeks, instead of almost eight weeks for the others.

Those are just a few examples, but an analysis of findings from 94 independent tests showed that implementation intentions overall have very positive effects on goal attainment.

They are particularly effective for two types of goals:

• Goals that are associated with disagreeable tasks, such as phone calls or job applications.
• Goals that are easily forgotten, such as taking medication.

They are also particularly effective for people for whom realizing plans is especially difficult. For example, people suffering from depression, anxiety or addictions, seem to benefit greatly from this technique.

You’re probably already using lots of implementation intentions.

But if or when not:

For many of your everyday tasks, you may already be using implementation intentions without knowing it. For example, having a regular schedule is already an implementation intention (e.g., “at 8am, I will be at my computer and will start with my most important task.”). You may therefore not need to think about this very often. However, keep it in mind as a helpful technique for tasks that are particularly difficult to get started with, or that you’re likely to forget.

In other words, here’s my suggesting of a meta-version – the mother of many more implementation intentions:

“If I notice one of my to-do’s has been on my list for too long,
I will form an implementation intention.”

by Ursina Teuscher at Teuscher Counseling, LLC

Selected References:
[1] Gollwitzer, P. M., & Brandstätter, V. (1997). Implementation intentions and effective goal pursuit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1), 186–199. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.73.1.186
[2] Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. San Diego, CA, US: Elsevier Academic Press.
[3] Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503. http://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493
Hammer, R. (2010). The Effects of Implementation Intentions on Volunteer Firefighter Exercise Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Study. All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/753
[4] Schweiger Gallo, I., Pfau, F., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2012). Furnishing hypnotic instructions with implementation intentions enhances hypnotic responsiveness. Consciousness and Cognition, 21(2), 1023–1030. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2012.03.007
[5] Verplanken, B., & Faes, S. (1999). Good intentions, bad habits, and effects of forming implementation intentions on healthy eating. European Journal of Social Psychology, 29(5-6), 591–604. http://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0992(199908/09)29:5/63.0.CO;2-H
[6] Wang, G., Wang, Y., & Gai, X. (2021). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Mental Contrasting With Implementation Intentions on Goal Attainment. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 565202. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.565202