What category does If-Then Planning belong to?

If-Then Planning belongs to the "Techniques" category in personal knowledge management and productivity.

What are the key topics related to If-Then Planning?

Key topics related to If-Then Planning include: procrastination, planning, behavior-change, habits, productivity.

If-Then Planning

Q: What are alternative names for If-Then Planning?

If-Then Planning is also known as: Implementation intentions, Conditional planning, Trigger-action planning.

Creating specific plans linking situations to actions: 'If X happens, I will do Y.'

Also known as: Implementation intentions, Conditional planning, Trigger-action planning

Category: Techniques

Tags: procrastination, planning, behavior-change, habits, productivity

Explanation

If-then planning (also called implementation intentions) is the practice of creating specific conditional plans: 'If situation X occurs, then I will perform behavior Y.' Research by Peter Gollwitzer shows this format dramatically increases follow-through compared to vague intentions. Examples: 'If I finish my morning coffee, I will work on my most important task' or 'If I feel the urge to check social media, I will take three deep breaths instead.' If-then plans work because: they pre-decide actions (removing in-the-moment deliberation), create strong situation-behavior links (automatic triggering), and leverage habit formation mechanisms. Effective if-then plans are: specific (not vague situations or actions), realistic (situations you'll actually encounter), and rehearsed (mentally practiced). For knowledge workers, if-then planning helps: overcome procrastination by removing decision points, automate positive behaviors, and create reliable routines without relying on motivation or willpower in the moment.

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