The Missing Link Between Good Intentions and Behavior Change

Most people don't have a motivation problem; they have a remembering problem.

At the beginning of the year, we decide we'll exercise, have difficult conversations, work on strategic priorities, or stop checking email every three minutes. The intention is real. The commitment is sincere. Yet somehow, when the moment arrives, the plan disappears.

Not because we forgot our goals. But because we didn't connect those goals to the cues that actually drive behavior.

Traditional goal setting focuses on outcomes, like exercising more, putting the phone away, giving more effective feedback, or eating more salads. The problem is that goals tell us what we want to accomplish, but they rarely tell us what to do when the moment of decision arrives. (Especially if we've phrased the goal as something we're going to stop doing instead of what we will do.)

Behavioral researchers call this the intention-behavior or action-intention gap. Many people genuinely intend to take positive actions but fail to follow through. Research has found that creating specific plans tied to particular situations significantly improves goal attainment because it strengthens the connection between a cue and a desired response.

source: https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/intention-action-gap

In other words, success often depends less on commitment and more on whether the environment reminds us what to do. One of my favorite researchers, Professor Katy Milkman, calls this Cue-Based Planning.

Cue-based planning asks a simple question: "What cue will trigger this behavior?"

I use this tool when running leadership workshops. My participants say that they're going to try being more empathetic. I then ask them, "Can you think of someone you want to try this with?" And when they say yes, I respond with, "When will you next try it with them?" and I try to pin them down to their next 1:1 meeting or the next time they see that person. When they are concrete about their plan for being more empathetic (or giving more feedback, or assessing someone else's behavior style), they are far more likely to get that homework done.

Here are some examples of the if/then phrasing that works with cue-based planning:

• If I finish lunch, then I will walk for ten minutes.

• If my calendar reminder for a meeting appears, then I will spend two minutes reviewing my key message.

• If I feel frustrated with an employee, then I will ask one open-ended question before giving advice.

• If I get in the car to go to work, then I will listen to a leadership podcast.

• If I have my morning coffee, then I will give myself 15 minutes to daydream.

  
  

Studies show that plans like these increase the likelihood of follow-through because they make the cue more mentally accessible and automate the response when the cue appears.

The goal is no longer dependent on remembering; the environment does the remembering for you.

One of Katy Milkman's best-known concepts is the "Fresh Start Effect." Her research found that temporal landmarks (beginnings of weeks, months, years, birthdays, or other meaningful transitions) can create psychological openings that increase motivation for behavior you want to start doing. People are more likely to start diets, visit the gym, or commit to goals immediately following these landmarks.

Monday morning is a cue.

The first day back from vacation is a cue.

A birthday is a cue.

The start of a new quarter is a cue.

The day before your call with a coach is a cue.

Rather than waiting for motivation to appear randomly, cue-based planners intentionally associate desired behaviors with moments that already carry psychological significance. Milkman's work suggests that change becomes easier when we leverage natural transitions instead of fighting against them.

Consider how many cues already exist in your regular day-to-day:

• Opening your laptop

• Walking through your office door

• Finishing a meeting

• Brushing your teeth

• Arriving home

• Starting your commute

• Pouring your first cup of coffee

  
  

Every repeated event is a potential trigger.

The strongest plans often sound almost boring:

• After I park my car, I will review my priorities for the day.

• Before I open my email, I will spend ten minutes on strategic work.

• While my computer is booting up, I will write down three things I'm grateful for.

• After my last meeting, I will document one lesson learned.

  
  

One reason cue-based planning matters is that cues already shape our behavior, whether we design them intentionally or not. Think of all the pings and dings you get in a day and the behavior they trigger. Think of everything that causes you to stroll into the kitchen for a snack (and how few of them are actual hunger). And just waking up can trigger the making of coffee!

The question isn't whether cues influence your behavior; it's whether you're in charge of the cues or not.