Want to know the single biggest predictor of whether you’ll actually achieve your goals?  Intending to. 

Yet research shows intentions only translate into action about 50% of the time.  So, intentions are not everything that’s going on. 

And the other 50% – called the intention-behaviour gap – is the subject of much research.  And that gap is where most of our New Year Resolutions fall.

Intuitively it feels like some people are better at doing what it takes to achieve their goals than others. You know them when you meet them. They’re self-disciplined, forward-thinking, motivated and resilient sorts.   And achieving goals comes down to this mix of traits, skills and abilities, all working to drive what we do – how we act.

Question.  Do you think you are good self-regulation? Do you stick to your goals with determination?  Test it out for yourself.  Objectively.    

Because those who overestimate their self-control skills are setting themselves up for failure as they set their career-life goals.

Here are 2 questionnaires that will give you insight into different areas of self-regulation.

1. How gritty are you? Try Angela Duckworth’s Grit Scale.  This is about sticking to a longer-term goal and not abandoning it. Good news for my audience with their work-life synergy goals – the world of work is where self-control has its strongest impact.

2. Self-control. Find out how much you have here. This is about whether you can control your impulses in the face of in-the-moment temptations that conflict with your overall goal!  It may not surprise you that our eating and weight is where we’re weakest, despite strong intentions. 

So, what’s going wrong here?  The scientific studies point at a few things:

1. Missing the Moment! Even delays of 5 seconds can see people forget to act as intended, during a really demanding task.  Relate that to work.  You’re absorbed. Deeply.  Focused on what needs to be done/said.  So, you forget that thing you decided you want but don’t normally do … ‘til the moment has passed.  With its’ window of opportunity to do something different, something you fully intended to act on.
2. Giving up too soon. Grit is great when it’s pointed at the right goal.  I have written before about how grit has a dark power when employed for the wrong reasons.  But to be clear, for resolutions, we need grit.  Without it, we give up too early.  And there’s so many points that may seem ok…unless we’re gritty.  When different desires compete. When barriers turn up that we didn’t see coming. When our emotions de-rail us.  When we’re spreading ourselves too thin.  When we run out of willpower. 

What About If-Then?

So, we give up because we feel we must.  In that moment.  But we mustn’t.  Not when it matters.

Awareness of our bias.  Looking objectively about what levels of self-control and grit we have built in.  Understanding why good goals fall down the intention-action gap.  These will all help. 

But there’s more to the science of self-regulation.  There is a way to navigate those threats and stay on track.  A way that closes the intention-action gap. 

If-Then Plans (or implementation-intentions)

Think of these as very specific self-instructions linking a situation relevant to your goal to a goal-directed response.  So you have a short-cut all thought out and don’t miss the moment to act.  The when, where, how and what you will do in pursuit of your specific goal.

It’s time to think about your own work-life goal using this template. Getting as specific as humanly possible, come up with some if-then plans to help you succeed.

IF:              a good opportunity to act shows up – or an obstacle or threat triggers action….

THEN:    ….your goal-response is initiated.  A specific behavior, doing something in a certain way, stating a boundary or ignoring something / feelings without de-railing.

Don’t skimp on this task.  Remember these If-Then Plans significantly increase your chances of achieving your goal.

Mirror, Mirror on The Wall; Show The Truth About My Goal

There is one big problem with If-Then Plans. 

They won’t work for people who aren’t committed to the goal! 

And ‘thinking positive’ can backfire.  There’s study after study, showing that those with the most positive thoughts, images – fantasies about their goals, were the least successful. 

Why?  Because while positive expectations boost our motivation, fantasies take it too far. They trick the brain to thinking the work is done. 

And so kill motivation to achieve the goal in real life!

WOOP and all your wishes will be fulfilled 

WOOP is an evidence-based mental strategy that people can use to boost their commitment and change their habits.  With over 20 years of research, we know WOOP works. WOOP stands for:

1. Wish
2. Outcome
3. Obstacle
4. Plan

Known scientifically as Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions, WOOP balances positive thinking about our goals, by thinking through the obstacles that might stand in our way of achieving them.  We need these negatives.  Then commitment dials up.  As do rates of success.  

So now you know, the 4 letters that spell success are WOOP and how to fulfil your career-life wishes this year!