How “If…Then” Can Make Your Life Easier… and More Successful

We all know how rewards work. If I work out, then I get a cookie. If I get my work done, then I can play a video game. If I get a promotion, then I can buy myself a new iPad. But what about using “if…then” in a better, more productive way?

A Psychology Today study found that an “if-then” strategy can make you two-to-three times more successful in achieving your goals. “If-then” statements are not about rewarding yourself for getting tasks done. It’s all about setting an action that corresponds to a cue. That action should be a desirable one, and something that you’d like to turn into a habit. Here are some examples you can follow:

• If it’s time for lunch, then I take a 20-minute break and step away from my computer.
• If I’m asked to do something I don’t want to do, then I say no.
• If it’s a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, then I will go to the gym.
• If I’m not being productive, then I go for a 10-minute walk.
• If it’s 10 PM, then I move to the bedroom and begin my de-stressing process.
• If I’m at home, then I don’t open my work computer between 5 and 8 PM.
• If I’m offered a dessert, then I say no.

These “if-then” statements create an automatic response or rule that you must follow. It takes the guesswork or the risk out of your bad habits–and hopefully breaks them! What “if-then” rules will you set for yourself?