The psychological technique that doubles your chances of achieving goals effortlessly
A technique with more than 90% success rate
🏷️ Categories: Behavior, Goals, Habits.
We all have goals. And every time you set a new one, you probably think:
“I need to get motivated.”
That’s the mistake.
Motivation is not what you need—and today I’m going to share a simple technique that requires no extra effort and can double or even triple the chances that you’ll achieve your goals. Even better: it’s backed by science.
Here’s what you need to know—and how to apply it in your life.
The most common mistake when setting goals
When you set a goal, the first thing you think is: “I need to get motivated.”
And that makes sense. Motivation is that inner energy that pushes you to act. But studies show a surprising truth: motivation alone doesn’t work for long-term behavior change.
Motivation is fleeting. It's unreliable.
In one study involving 248 people who wanted to exercise more, researchers split participants into three groups. The first group simply had to track their workouts. The second group did the same, but also read motivational texts about the benefits of exercise. The third group did all of that… and added one extra sentence:
“During the next week, I will do at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME] in [PLACE].”
The result?
Between 35–38% of people in groups 1 and 2 exercised at least once that week.
But 91% of group 3 (the group with the concrete plan) followed through.
One simple sentence nearly tripled the success rate. (Milne et al., 2002)
It’s not magic—psychologists call it implementation intention.
What is an implementation intention?
It’s a behavior-regulation technique based on “if [X], then [Y]” plans.
“If I’m in [SITUATION], then I will do [ACTION].”
You don’t just say, “I want to write more.” You say:
“I’ll write for 30 minutes at 8:00 a.m. in the library.”
This kind of planning turns vague intentions into concrete actions.
What was abstract becomes specific, and your behavior starts to change. Your brain no longer relies on motivation. Instead, you outsource control of your actions to the environment: the moment and place become triggers.
The power of implementation intentions
This technique has been proven in all kinds of situations:
People showing up for medical checkups on time
Patients taking their meds regularly
People quitting smoking, recycling more, studying better, and eating healthier
A meta-analysis of 94 studies found that people who use this technique are significantly more likely to achieve their goals (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006).
And here’s the best part: it works for everyone—young people, adults, students, people with mental health issues, patients, office workers…
Implementation intentions are a universal strategy.
Why this technique works (and motivation doesn’t)
Imagine two people who want to start running.
Juan says: “I want to run more this month.”
Clara says: “I’ll run for 30 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. in the park near my house.”
Who do you think actually runs more? Now imagine it’s Tuesday morning and it’s raining. What happens? Here comes the second layer of this strategy: contingency planning:
“If the weather doesn’t allow me to run, then I’ll do 30 minutes of indoor biking at home.”
This kind of planning helps you adapt.
It stops you from sabotaging yourself with excuses. You already know what to do in case of obstacles. Most people don’t fail because of a lack of motivation. They fail because they leave the conditions for action up to chance—and end up making decisions in the moment (when friction is highest).
They haven’t thought about when, where, or what they’ll do ahead of time.
Implementation intentions remove chance and friction from the system.
How to use this technique in your life
The formula is simple:
“I will [ACTION] on [DAY] at [TIME] in [PLACE].”
And for an extra level of robustness:
“If [OBSTACLE] happens, then I’ll do [ALTERNATIVE PLAN].”
Here are a few practical examples:
“I’ll study English every day for 30 minutes at 6 p.m. in the living room.”
“I’ll write 500 words at 9 a.m. at the café.”
“I’ll go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7 a.m. at the sports center.”
“I’ll call my friend on Sunday at 11 a.m. from the couch with a cup of tea.”
“If I can’t make it to the gym, I’ll do 20 minutes of home training.”
Start with one single action. Write it down. Keep it visible.
You’ll see how, when well implemented, it starts happening almost effortlessly.
What I learned from using this technique
I’m not immune to procrastination.
In fact, I’ve lost many writing days just because the friction of starting led me to put it off. But when I began writing down the next day’s task with precision each night, something curious happened. I stopped asking myself if I was inspired. Or if I felt like it. I just sat down and wrote. Over and over. Without fail.
Because the battle isn’t writing. It’s starting to write—and ditching the excuses.
Once that’s decided ahead of time, everything else flows.
Next time you want to achieve something important, don’t ask yourself if you’re motivated enough. Ask yourself this instead: Have you already decided exactly when, where, and how you’re going to start?
That’s the difference between wanting and achieving.
✍️ Your turn: What implementation intention could you use to reach your goals and stick to your habits without effort?
💭 Quote of the day: “People can achieve more goals by shifting from self-regulation to regulation through implementation intention.” — Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006)
See you next time! 👋
References 📚
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta‐analysis of Effects and Processes. In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (pp. 69–119).
Milne, S., Orbell, S., & Sheeran, P. (2002). Combining motivational and volitional interventions to promote exercise participation: Protection motivation theory and implementation intentions. British Journal Of Health Psychology, 7(2), 163–184.