Behavior design

Do The Things You Want to Do but Fail To...By Applying Implementation Intentions

You intended to make that sales call first thing in the morning.

To share your idea in the zoom call.

Yet when the time came, you didn’t follow through.

What happened?

Most likely you got in the way. At least that’s what research says.

Here is how you get in your way –

1. Failed to get started because you:

2. Got derailed after starting due to:

In the 90s, Peter Gollwitzer, a psychology professor at New York University researched and introduced the concept of Implementation Intentions.

These are If-Then plans that link cues with your desired behavior.

Something like “If situation A arises, then I will do behavior B to reach goal C!”

If/Then planning significantly increases the odds of following through when the moment arrives.

Research shows that compared to those who only intend, If/ then planners

• Are better at seeing and seizing opportunities (cues) when they arise.

• Deal more effectively with second thoughts.

• Make more and better-quality attempts to overcome obstacles when they fail

Here is how you can create an implementation intention for yourself:

Step 1 – Identify the desired behavior (“raise your hand in the zoom call”)

Step 2 – Identify a cue (“any questions”) to do the behavior

Step 3 – Combine the cue and the behavior into an If/Then format – “If I hear ‘any questions?’ in the zoom call, then I will raise my hand”