Making a plan you’re likely to keep
Plans are more likely to happen when they’re specific. What exactly will you do, when, and where?
Linking an activity to something you already do helps. After I get home from work, I’ll change and walk around the block. After breakfast, I’ll text my sister.
Think ahead about what might get in the way and what you’d do then. Lay out your shoes the night before. Put the bill on top of your keys.
Some people do better with an exact time. Others find that missing a set time makes the whole plan feel ruined, so a part of the day works better. Choose what fits you.
If-then plans
The psychologist Peter Gollwitzer spent years studying what he called implementation intentions. These are plans that spell out when, where, and how you’ll act, often in the form “If this happens, then I’ll do that.” Across many studies, people who made plans like these followed through on their intentions more often than people who only set the goal. A review of studies with people living with mental health problems found a similar pattern.
An if-then plan pairs a cue with an action.
- If it’s 6 PM on Tuesday, I’ll put on my shoes and walk to the park.
- After I pour my morning coffee, I’ll text my sister.
- If I notice I’ve been scrolling for twenty minutes, I’ll get up and stretch.
The cue does some of the remembering for you. When the moment comes, the decision has already been made.
Building on what you already do
Tying a new activity to something you already do every day gives it a cue that shows up on its own. In one study of people building new daily habits, doing the behavior in the same setting each day, like after breakfast, made it more automatic over time. How long that took varied a lot, from a few weeks to many months. Missing a single day didn’t set people back in any lasting way.
Good cues are things that happen reliably, like waking up, a meal, getting home, or brushing your teeth. Vague ones, like “when I have time,” rarely work, because that moment never quite arrives.
Planning around what might get in the way
Therapists who use behavioral activation spend real time on what could go wrong before it does. Martell’s manual calls this troubleshooting, and it treats it as part of every plan, not something to do after a plan fails.
Two questions help. What’s the most likely thing to stop this? What would you do then?
- If it rains, walk the stairs in your building instead.
- If you’re wiped out after work, do the smallest version.
- If your friend cancels, go on your own or call someone else.
- If you can’t find the form, the plan becomes finding the form.
Small changes to your surroundings help too, like shoes by the door or the guitar out of its case. The less there is between you and the first step, the easier it is to take.
Exact time, part of the day, or after something
In the app, a plan can go at an exact time, in a part of the day, after something you already do, or anytime that day. Reminders follow what you choose.
An exact time works well for things with a fixed start, like a class or a call. A part of the day leaves room on days that don’t go as planned. After something you already do works well for anything you’d like to become a routine. If you’re not sure, try one way for a week, then the other, and see which plans happen more.
Doing it with someone
Plans made with another person, or told to another person, can be easier to keep. A walk is harder to skip when someone’s waiting at the corner. If doing the whole activity together isn’t possible, telling someone what you’re planning, and letting them ask how it went, can help in the same way.
A plan, before and after
Before: Exercise more.
After: On Tuesday and Thursday, when I get home from work, I’ll change into sneakers right away and walk to the park and back, about fifteen minutes. If it’s raining, I’ll walk the stairs in the building for ten. My shoes go by the door the night before.
The second one is longer, and that’s on purpose. It names the days and the moment, has a backup for rain, and has the shoes waiting. It’s also small enough to start on a tired Tuesday.
References
- Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503. doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493
- 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. doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
- Toli, A., Webb, T. L., & Hardy, G. E. (2016). Does forming implementation intentions help people with mental health problems to achieve goals? A meta-analysis of experimental studies with clinical and analogue samples. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 69–90. doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12086
- Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674
- Martell, C. R., Dimidjian, S., & Herman-Dunn, R. (2021). Behavioral activation for depression: A clinician’s guide (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Helpful links
Everyday Insight’s tools are for education and personal reflection. They are not therapy or medical care, and they are not for emergencies. In an emergency, call 911. If you are in crisis in the United States, call or text 988. Mental health resources