2 Strategies for Implementing Goals and Plans

You’ve likely experienced it before: late at night, just before sleep, you suddenly realize you need to change something about your life. Maybe it’s a flash of discomfort, or a spark of inspiration. Either way, you think, “I need to do something different.” You convince yourself it’s time to learn a new skill or exercise more regularly. You decide you won’t be late for appointments and will finish tasks on time.

But since it’s already late, you tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow. The next morning arrives, and you don’t feel like that motivated person you were last night. Instead, you’re back to your old self—no exercise, no progress in learning, and still not working on schedule. You find yourself repeating the same habits you swore to change.

Don’t worry; you’re not alone. People often set goals but never take action. Consider New Year’s resolutions: according to a 2013 Forbes report, only 8% of people who set such goals actually achieved them. We all have intentions and motivational moments, yet most never follow through. Is there a way to turn our plans into action?

Motivation Alone Isn’t Enough
The answer is “yes.” Rather than relying solely on waves of motivation, we can lean on a psychological tool known as “Implementation Intentions.” In 2002, the British Journal of Health Psychology published a study that illustrates this concept perfectly.

Researchers randomly placed 248 participants into three groups:

1. Control Group: Asked to record how often they would exercise in the next two weeks.
2. Motivated Group: Given the same task as the control group, plus motivational materials about heart health and the benefits of exercise.
3. Implementation Intentions Group: Given the motivational materials and asked to write down exactly when, where, and how they would exercise.

The results were striking:

• In the control group, 38% exercised at least once a week.
• In the motivated group, 35% exercised, showing that motivational messages alone didn’t help.
• In the implementation intentions group, a whopping 91% exercised at least once within two weeks.

The key difference was the addition of a clear plan that specified the exact time, place, and method of exercising. This strategy is called If-Then Planning and can significantly boost the likelihood of taking action.

The Key: Specify Time, Place, and How
Normally, we think about goals like this:
“I want to achieve X.” For example, “I want to work out three times a week.”

With Implementation Intentions, you shift your thinking:
“If Y happens, then I will do X.” For example, “If it’s 5 PM on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, then I’ll go to the gym and exercise for one hour.”

The goal remains the same, but the approach is more precise and actionable. Setting aside just a few minutes to pinpoint when, where, and how you’ll do something greatly increases the odds you’ll follow through. This works because you remove guesswork. Without a specific plan, you default to the easiest option—which is usually to do nothing. By having a fixed plan, when the scheduled time arrives, you don’t debate whether to exercise; you just do it because you’ve already decided in advance.

Over 100 studies confirm the effectiveness of Implementation Intentions. Still, our best-laid plans may be derailed by unforeseen events. How do we handle that?

Have a Backup Plan for Obstacles
The best way to stay on track is to combine Implementation Intentions with “Coping Plans.” Think of coping plans as your fallback options. They follow a similar If-Then format:
“If obstacle Y occurs, I will do X to handle it.”

This forces you to consider potential difficulties and prepare a solution in advance. Returning to our exercise example:

You’ve decided to work out at 5 PM on Monday, but imagine your boss needs you to stay until 6 PM. Your original plan won’t work. However, if you’ve already created a coping plan, you know what to do:

• “If I have to work until 6 PM, I’ll head to the gym at 6:30.”
• “If I still can’t make it by 6:30, I’ll go to the gym the next day.”

Because you worked out these scenarios ahead of time, you won’t spend energy debating what to do. You just follow your backup plan.

A study on heart patients recovering after rehabilitation clearly shows the power of combining these methods. All participants were motivated (their health depended on it), but after completing rehab, they were given different instructions:

1. Control group: Just recorded their exercise.
2. Implementation Intentions group: Recorded their exercise and planned when, where, and how they’d continue exercising.
3. Implementation Intentions + Coping Plans group: Not only set detailed plans but also prepared for obstacles and how to overcome them.

The results? The group that used both Implementation Intentions and Coping Plans exercised the most. Even strong motivation—like improving your health—often isn’t enough without a clear structure and backup strategies.

A Formula for Tough Days
We all have off-days. Sometimes you’re tired, sore, or simply not in the mood. This is normal. What often happens then? You skip the task entirely and feel guilty afterward. The guilt spoils your free time and prevents you from enjoying it.

To tackle this problem, give yourself a reduced version of the task as a coping plan. If you can’t study for an hour, just read one page. If you can’t fully practice for a piano recital, review a short segment of the piece. Doing a scaled-down version is better than doing nothing. It gets you started, and often once you begin, you might do more than you planned. Even if you only stick to the tiny task, you’ve still done something and avoided the guilt of complete avoidance.

There are two benefits to this approach:

1. Overcoming the initial hurdle: Starting is often the hardest part. Doing something small removes the mental block. Once you’re engaged, it’s easier to keep going.
2. Doing anything is better than doing nothing: You still make progress, no matter how small. You also honor your coping plan, leaving you free to enjoy your downtime without feeling bad.

Smart Strategies Beat Waiting for Motivation
In an ideal world, we’d always do what we set out to do. Reality is different. Obstacles arise, and motivation isn’t always steady. By using Implementation Intentions and Coping Plans, you create a supportive framework that helps you stick to your commitments, even when you’re not feeling inspired.

Life will always throw challenges your way. Will you wait for motivation to magically appear, or will you rely on tested strategies? Don’t be like most who give up at the first hurdle. Instead, be among those who smartly follow through on their goals—because they’ve planned not just what to do, but also how to handle setbacks.