Have you ever set
a goal for yourself or been fully behind a New Year’s resolution, and then done
nothing about it, or given up after a few days or weeks? I know I have…
When you set a
goal or a resolution in your conscious mind, the good intentions are there, but
as you know we do not always follow through and initiate the actions needed to
reach that goal.
Sometimes we don’t even start the actions needed to reach our
goals. Yet sometimes we start but then get distracted and forget to take the
necessary actions (forget to go to the gym on the way home).
Or we fail to spot opportune times for the actions (have 10 minutes between jobs but look at facebook instead of taking a walk).
Or we have second thoughts at the last minute (intend to go for a walk before work, but decide you didn’t sleep well and go for coffee instead).
It happens to us all, and it’s not our fault.
Our daily lives are increasingly busy and we are surrounded by more and more information we need to deal with or ignore.
Or we fail to spot opportune times for the actions (have 10 minutes between jobs but look at facebook instead of taking a walk).
Or we have second thoughts at the last minute (intend to go for a walk before work, but decide you didn’t sleep well and go for coffee instead).
It happens to us all, and it’s not our fault.
Our daily lives are increasingly busy and we are surrounded by more and more information we need to deal with or ignore.
Intention
Intervention (II) doesn’t sound very promising, but it really can be an
incredibly powerful, simple tool to help you reach your goals.
II involves setting an “if-then” plan around a particular goal you want to achieve.
And the very best part is that I’ve found some brilliant free software that does it all for you as a mobile app for IOS devices:
II involves setting an “if-then” plan around a particular goal you want to achieve.
And the very best part is that I’ve found some brilliant free software that does it all for you as a mobile app for IOS devices:
Woopmylife
website – find out more: http://woopmylife.org/woop-1
Itunes
Mobile app download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/woop-app/id790247988?mt=8
Don’t be fooled by how basic II sounds – there’s quite a bank of evidence behind the effectiveness of this quick and powerful tactic for difficult goals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 *).
Read on and give it a try. It works well for me…you might be surprised how well it works for you too…
For example, if
you want to lose weight, your goal might be to eat only healthy, low carb food
for the next week.
In thinking about the goal you need to think about the obstacles you might face during the week and create “if-then” plans to help you past those obstacles.
When you think about a goal and what might get in its way, you can usually think of a few obstacles you’ve faced in the past.
In thinking about the goal you need to think about the obstacles you might face during the week and create “if-then” plans to help you past those obstacles.
When you think about a goal and what might get in its way, you can usually think of a few obstacles you’ve faced in the past.
In the healthy
weight loss example obstacles might include temptation by cakes in a bakery you
pass on the way to work, eating out with friends and being tempted by the dessert
menu, craving high carb foods when you’re shopping in the supermarket, or
seeing chocolate in the filling station and longing to buy it.
Your if-then plan needs to specify what, where and when based around your obstacles.
Your if-then plan needs to specify what, where and when based around your obstacles.
So the if-then
plans you set might look like this:
“If I see cakes
or biscuits in the bakery window on my way to work I will breath in deeply and
put my hand in my pockets.”
“If I am tempted
by the dessert menu after dinner in the restaurant tonight I will have a drink
of water and look out of the window.”
“If I see high
carb foods when I’m in the supermarket at lunchtime I will look the other way
and take a deep breath.”
“If I see chocolate or sweets in the filling station on the way to my sister’s house I will look out of the window and count to five in my head.”
The theory is
that by putting a context or place into the if-then plan, and giving yourself
an alternative action to perform, you shift the goal-directed action (breathing
in, drinking water, looking out of the window, etc.) from being conscious to
being automatized (9, 10*).
“If I see chocolate or sweets in the filling station on the way to my sister’s house I will look out of the window and count to five in my head.”
So when you find
yourself in a specific context (on the way to work, just after your main course
in the restaurant, in the supermarket at lunchtime or in the filling station on
the way to your sister’s house) the if-then plan will automatically kick in.
Instead of having to consciously think it out, your mind automatically initiates
the if-then plan, just as you start driving on a change to a green traffic
light without the need for conscious thought.
This effect is
made even stronger if you use mental imagery or mental contrasting (11*) to
visualize the reality of achieving your goal (the reality of the slimmer and
healthier you after reaching your goal for example). Imagine yourself
actually coming across obstacles that stand in the way of your goal (actually
visualize yourself walking past the bakery, putting your hand in your pockets
and breathing in deeply for example).
By visualising how you will deal with those obstacles the whole simple tactic becomes even more powerful.
By visualising how you will deal with those obstacles the whole simple tactic becomes even more powerful.
The stronger your
intention to achieve a goal, the better II will work.
Just by stating to yourself mentally when you set your if-then plans “I have a strong intention of achieving this goal” it can increase the likelihood of reaching your goal (12*).
I know it sounds silly but if it works does it matter it sounds? What’s more the effect of the II can last some time (13*, 14*).
The fantastic free software I found that takes you through every step of the process from setting your goal and creating your if-then plans to imagining reaching the goal and meeting the obstacles along the way.
Just by stating to yourself mentally when you set your if-then plans “I have a strong intention of achieving this goal” it can increase the likelihood of reaching your goal (12*).
I know it sounds silly but if it works does it matter it sounds? What’s more the effect of the II can last some time (13*, 14*).
The fantastic free software I found that takes you through every step of the process from setting your goal and creating your if-then plans to imagining reaching the goal and meeting the obstacles along the way.
This Youtube introduction is pretty good too:
Woop has helped people double the regular physical exercise
they take.
With the help of Woop another group increased the fruit and vegetables they ate by 30% over a 2 year study period. (15, 16).
Woop has helped thousands of other people with a range of goals from health to emotional and cognitive.
With the help of Woop another group increased the fruit and vegetables they ate by 30% over a 2 year study period. (15, 16).
Woop has helped thousands of other people with a range of goals from health to emotional and cognitive.
Article by Victoria Warrell
REFERENCES:
1.
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Brandstatter, V.
(1997). Implementation intentions and effective goal pursuit. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 186-199.
2.
Orbell, S., Hodgkins, S., & Sheeran, P.
(1997). Implementation intentions and the theory of planned behavior.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 945-954.
3.
Milne, S. E., Orbell, S., & Sheeran, P.
(1999). Combining motivational and volitional interventions to promote exercise
participation: Protection motivation theory and implementation intentions.
Manuscript submitted for publication.
4.
Remlinger, J. (1997). Vorsatzeffekte bei
Opiatabhdngigen [Implementation intention effects in opiate addicts].
Unpublished master's thesis, University of Konstanz, Germany.
5.
Schmitt, S. (1997). Zur Wirkungsweise von
Vorsatzeffekten bei schizophren Erkrankten [Implementation intention effects in
schizophrenic patients]. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Konstanz,
Germany.
6.
Lengfelder, A., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (1998).
Reflective and reflexive action control in frontal lobe patients. Manuscript
submitted for publication.
7.
Kimberg, D. Y., & Farah, M. J. (1993). A
unified account of cognitive impairments following frontal lobe damage: The
role of working memory in complex, organized behavior. Journal of Experimental
Psychology: General, 122, 411-428.
8.
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006).
Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and
processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.
9.
Gollwitzer, P. M. (1993). Goal achievement: The
role of intentions. In W. Stroebe & M. Hewstone (Eds.), European review of
social psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 141-185). Chichester, England: Wiley.
10.
Bargh, J. A. (1997). The automaticity of
everyday life. In R. S. Wyer, Jr. (Ed.), The automaticity of everyday life:
Advances in social cognition (Vol. 10, pp. 1-61). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
11.
Oettingen, G. (2012). Future thought and
behavior change. European Review of Social Psychology, 23, 1–63.
12.
Steller, B. (1992). Vorsatze und die Wahmehmung
giinstiger Gelegenheiten [Implementation intentions and the detection of good
opportunities to act]. Munich, Germany: tuduv Verlagsgesellschaft.
13.
Sheeran, P., & Orbell, S. (1999).
Implementation intentions and repeated 502 July 1999 • American Psychologist
behaviors: Augmenting the predictive validity of the theory of planned
behavior. European Journal of Social Psychology, 29, 349-370
14.
Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2010).
Strategies of setting and implementing goals: Mental contrasting and
implementation intentions. In J. E. Maddux & J. P. Tangney (Eds.), Social
psychological foundations of clinical psychology (pp. 114–135). New York:
Guilford Press.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
I'd love to hear your comments, do share your thoughts with me...