Using Implementation Intentions to Achieve Your Goals

May 26, 2020

Simply forgetting — you make a goal to lose weight, so you decide to track everything you eat. Then you go out for a nice dinner and forget to catalog your food.
Failure to seize opportunities — you make a goal to write a novel, then spend your entire plane ride home for Thanksgiving watching movies rather than beginning your first draft.
Second thoughts — you just got home from work and it’s a beautiful day out. You could go for a bike ride before it gets dark, but you’re feeling tired, so you decide to play video games instead.

Distracting stimuli — you’re trying to eat healthy, but then a coworker brings in donuts as a treat. Before you know it, you’ve eaten two.
Bad habits — you’re trying to quit smoking, but you always step outside for a cigarette after dinner. Before you know it, cravings set in and you’re lighting up.
Negative moods — you’re trying to save money, but then you have a bad day at work. You stop by the store for some retail therapy, and your savings start to evaporate.

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