There's one sentence that, according to research, doubles your chances of following through on any goal.

It's called an Implementation Intention, and psychologist Peter Gollwitzer has spent 30 years proving it works.

Here's the formula:

"When [situation], I will [specific action]."

That's it. But the specificity is everything.

Bad: "I'll exercise more."

Good: "When I get home from work, I will put on running shoes and walk for 20 minutes."

Bad: "I'll be more productive."

Good: "When I sit down at my desk in the morning, I will open my task list and work on the first item for 25 minutes."

Bad: "I'll stop procrastinating."

Good: "When I feel the urge to open social media, I will close my phone and set a 10-minute timer for my current task."

Why it works: Your brain doesn't actually struggle with motivation. It struggles with DECIDING. An Implementation Intention pre-loads the decision so your brain doesn't have to make it in the moment.

Gollwitzer's research shows that people who use this format are 2-3x more likely to follow through than people who just set a goal.

Copy-paste these three templates and fill them in right now:

"When _______, I will _______." (morning routine)

"When _______, I will _______." (work habit)

"When _______, I will _______." (evening wind-down)

Write them somewhere you'll see them daily. That's the whole technique.

Kevin | TodayIsTheDay