Coaching practices for If Then Rules Behavior

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

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

• I keep telling myself I’ll get to it "sometime today" and then the day just dissolves and I never do
• I genuinely intend to do the thing
• I start strong leaving the phone by the door, but then "what if the school calls" or "what if there’s an emergency" creeps in and I cave and grab it back
• The same urge gets me every time
• I tend to lock in on a decision the moment the first result looks good and just stop there, and I want to actually keep going

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. 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
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 the common obstacles before they arrive
   Identify your three most likely reasons for abandoning the station and write a specific "if–then" response for each.
   The Phone Foyer Method
5. Write an if–then plan for your most predictable temptation
   "If I feel the urge to [temptation], then I will [alternative action] instead."
   If–Then Planning, Made Practical
6. Ask “and then what?” three times
   Don’t stop at the first consequence — follow the chain at least two steps further.
   Second-Order Thinking: And Then What?
7. 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
8. 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
9. Draw one clear, binary line
   Replace "less" or "moderate" with a rule that is unambiguously on or off.
   Bright-Line Rules: When "None" Beats "Some"
10. 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

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