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How do implementation intentions help you stick to a new habit?

Published 2026-10-29

An implementation intention is an if-then plan: "If situation Y happens, then I will do Z." Instead of only deciding what you want, you decide when, where and how you will act. A research summary from the NIH's National Cancer Institute explains that forming if-then plans helps people manage the problems that stop good intentions from turning into action, and increases rates of goal attainment.

Why good intentions often are not enough

The NCI summary reports that, across reviewed studies of health behaviors, people translated their good intentions into action only 53 percent of the time. For health goals, it names two problems as the greatest challenges: failing to get started, and getting derailed along the way. Remembering to act is one of the problems of getting started.

How an if-then plan helps

The NCI summary describes two processes. Choosing a specific situation in advance makes that situation more mentally accessible, so you are better placed to notice it when it arrives. Linking that situation to a specific response means you do not have to deliberate about when and how to act at the critical moment.

Writing an if-then plan for walking

The NHS page on walking for health says the easiest way to walk more is to make walking a habit, for example by walking part of your journey to work or walking to the shops.

To turn that into an if-then plan:

  1. Name what usually stops you. For example, you forget, or you put it off.
  2. Pick a precise situation you already meet every day. The NCI summary warns that if-then planning may not be very effective if relevant opportunities and responses are not specified precisely.
  3. Pick a precise action. The NHS suggests options such as walking part of your journey to work.
  4. Write it in if-then form. Use the template "If [situation], then I will [walking action]."

The NCI summary also notes that implementation intention effects are stronger when if-then planning is supported by strong goal intentions.