Coaching practices for If Then Planning Goals

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For If Then Planning Goals, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• I make perfectly sensible plans but they sit there feeling optional, with no real fire behind them
• I genuinely intend to do the thing
• My plans hold up fine until something throws them off
• I’ll be deep in the thing that matters and then a "quick" request or an urgent-looking email pulls me off it, and I tell myself I’ll come right back but I never really do
• I keep telling myself I’ll get to it "sometime today" and then the day just dissolves and I never do

Practices that may help

1. If–Then Planning, Made Practical
   If–then plans (also called implementation intentions) specify in advance how you will respond to the specific situations that typically derail your goals: "If situation X occurs, then I will do Y." A meta-analysis of 94 studies found a medium-to-large effect on goal attainment — one of the most reliable single techniques in goal-setting research.
2. Combine mental contrasting with an if–then plan (MCII)
   Fantasize about success, then vividly imagine the key obstacle, then write the if–then — the sequence matters.
   If–Then Planning, Made Practical
3. Set if-then implementation intentions for goal behaviors
   Specify when, where, and how you’ll act — not just whether you intend to.
   Hyperbolic Discounting — Why Future You Always Gets the Short End
4. Plan for obstacles with coping plans
   Anticipate the specific obstacles most likely to block your plan and pre-decide your response to each.
   Action Planning
5. Write an if–then plan that protects your priority from interference
   "If [competing demand/distraction appears], then I will [delegate/defer/decline] instead of abandoning my goal."
   If–Then Planning, Made Practical
6. Specify the when and where for every goal action
   "I will do [behavior] at [time] in [location]" — specificity creates an automatic trigger.
   If–Then Planning, Made Practical
7. Define the result before listing tasks
   Before planning any action, write a single clear statement of the specific outcome you want.
   Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method (RPM), Made Practical
8. Decompose distal goals into proximal action plans
   Break long-term goals into short-term action plans with specific behavioral targets for this week.
   Action Planning
9. Form an if-then plan linking the obstacle to a specific response
   "If [obstacle occurs], then I will [specific action]" — this plan is what converts mental contrasting into behavior change.
   Mental Contrasting and WOOP
10. Write an if–then plan for your biggest obstacle
    "If [obstacle occurs], then I will [specific response]" — pre-deciding removes the obstacle’s power.
    If–Then Planning, Made Practical

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