Turn intentions into if-then plans

Goals name a destination; implementation intentions name the trigger. A meta-analysis of 94 studies found that if-then plans ("when situation X arises, I will do Y") produce a medium-to-large jump in follow-through over goals alone, because the situation starts doing the remembering (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). Most student "motivation problems" are really trigger problems. (Manning's implementation-intention-designer skill generates these plans with students.)

In practice

• Ban naked goals in target-setting conversations. Every goal leaves the room as an if-then: specific cue, specific action, small enough to actually fire.
• Anchor to cues that already exist: after registration, when the bus leaves, when the phone goes on charge. New habits ride on old ones.
• Plan the obstacle too: "if I don't feel like it, I'll do just the first two questions." Starting is the whole battle.