Wanting to train matters, but it is not always enough to get started. You can have a clear goal and still come home tired from work, face heavy rain, miss your usual time slot, feel nervous before a competition or deal with an unexpected family commitment. Those obstacles do not make your intention false; they show that real life sits between deciding and doing.
Motivation is not useless. It helps you choose a direction and can support effort, but it changes across days and situations. Rather than relying only on how you feel at that moment, you can prepare a response to a predictable obstacle before it appears.
What are implementation intentions?
A general intention states a goal: “I will train more this week.” An implementation intention, or if-then plan, links a recognisable situation to a response you have already chosen:
IF X happens, THEN I will do Y.
Peter Gollwitzer’s work on implementation intentions describes this self-regulation strategy as specifying when, where or in response to which cue a goal-directed action will be taken. Identifying the cue and choosing the response in advance may make it easier to initiate action because you do not have to make every decision in a difficult moment. It does not make behaviour automatic, infallible or appropriate in every circumstance.
Research has also examined these plans in physical activity. The meta-analytic review by Bélanger-Gravel, Godin and Amireault considered their role in bridging the gap between intending to be active and acting. Applying the idea to performance requires care: the scoping review by Bieleke, Wolff, Englert and Gollwitzer found heterogeneous results across different sporting settings, often with small samples. A plan can be a useful organising tool, not a guarantee of adherence, motivation or performance.
How to build a useful plan
Start with a real sporting goal, such as completing two sessions this week, following a pre-competition routine or packing your equipment the night before. Then:
- Identify a frequent, specific obstacle. “Something sometimes gets in the way” is too broad; “I arrive home tired from work” can be planned for.
- Choose an observable cue. It can be a time, place, event or recognisable sensation. Do not use “if I feel like it”: that leaves the action dependent on momentary motivation.
- Prepare a simple, specific and feasible response. It should depend on you and state what you will actually do.
- Do not turn the outcome into the action. “Then I will perform better” describes no behaviour. “Then I will take three controlled breaths and focus on my first task” does.
- Review the plan after using it. A plan should improve through experience; it is not a rigid contract.
| Situation or obstacle | Recognisable cue | “Then” response | What to record afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tired after work | I enter home and put down my keys | I will change and do the first ten minutes | Starting energy, sensations after ten minutes and my decision |
| Rain prevents outdoor training | I confirm that the outdoor session is not feasible | I will do my prepared home alternative | Which alternative I did and whether it matched the goal |
| Usual time slot is lost | The planned slot ends before I can train | I will use the alternative slot I reserved | Why it changed and whether the backup time worked |
| Nerves before competition | My breathing speeds up or attention drifts | I will take three controlled breaths and focus on my first action | Nerves, chosen focus and what happened next |
| Missing equipment | I check my bag the night before | I will complete my list and leave the bag by the door | What was missing and whether preparation reduced rushing |
Examples that leave room to decide
IF I arrive home tired from work, THEN I will change my clothes and do the first ten minutes. This response makes starting easier, but it does not force you to complete the session at any cost. After ten minutes, you can continue, reduce or adapt the session, or stop, according to your sensations and circumstances.
IF it rains and I cannot train outside, THEN I will do an alternative that I prepared at home. Define that alternative—for example, a technical routine agreed with your coach. “I will do something else” is not specific enough.
IF I miss my usual training time, THEN I will use the alternative slot I have already reserved. Reserving it prevents a desperate search for time late in the day. If that slot also disappears, the plan may involve resting and rescheduling rather than improvising a midnight workout.
IF nerves appear before I compete, THEN I will take three controlled breaths and focus on the first action that depends on me. The purpose is not to remove all arousal, but to direct attention towards a controllable behaviour.
You might also prepare: “IF my available time is reduced, THEN I will do the shorter version of the session I have already defined” or “IF I do not understand a task, THEN I will note the question and ask my coach for guidance.” Both responses describe a concrete action under your control.
A useful plan can be reviewed
After testing it, ask:
- Did the cue actually appear?
- Was the response specific enough?
- Was it under my control?
- Did it fit my situation that day?
- What would I change next time?
If you never noticed the cue, it may have been vague. If you recognised it but the response was impossible, make the action smaller or choose another one. Usefulness depends on a viable, well-formed plan that fits the person, goal and situation.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using vague cues such as “when the time is right”.
- Making the response too ambitious for the obstacle.
- Preparing so many plans at once that they are hard to remember.
- Choosing actions that depend on another person being available or behaving in a certain way.
- Using the plan as punishment for a missed session or disappointing result.
- Confusing consistency with ignoring pain, illness, exhaustion or the need to rest.
- Applying a response rigidly after circumstances have changed.
- Assuming that the plan guarantees sporting performance.
The purpose is not to train at any cost. A plan can also protect you: “IF I feel pain that concerns me, THEN I will stop the session and seek professional assessment.” Rest, injury, illness or symptoms during exercise may require you to stop and change the plan. You can also read why training more does not always mean training better.
Today’s YouVisible challenge
- Choose a real sporting goal.
- Identify the obstacle that occurs most often.
- Write a specific, simple and feasible response.
- Complete: “IF ****____****, THEN ****____******.”**
- Test the plan when the cue appears.
- Record what happened and what you would change.
In YouVisible, you can save your plan before training and afterwards record whether the obstacle appeared, how you responded, how you felt, what worked and what you would change next time. Because progress also means understanding what helps you keep going.
If you wish, share your IF-THEN plan in Visible Community. It may give other athletes an idea, without suggesting that the same response will suit everyone.
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Sources
- Gollwitzer — “Implementation Intentions: Strong Effects of Simple Plans”.
- Bélanger-Gravel, Godin and Amireault — “A meta-analytic review of the effect of implementation intentions on physical activity”.
- Bieleke, Wolff, Englert and Gollwitzer — “If-Then Planning in Sports: A Scoping Review”.
Notice: This article provides general educational information and does not replace assessment by a healthcare professional, sport psychologist or another qualified professional. Do not ignore pain, injury, illness, exhaustion, the need for rest or symptoms during exercise.