Research shows that people are two to three times more likely to achieve their goals if they make very specific plans about when, where, and how they are going to perform certain tasks. This technique is called implementation intention and is deeply rooted in human psychology. Many different studies have proved its effectiveness at making people more accountable for the promises they make to themselves. All you need to do is fill in the blanks in the following sentence:

“Next week, I will spend at least 10 minutes [taking action/performing activity] on [day] at [time of day] at/in [place].”

Another neat way to use this research is to experiment with a strategy known as habit stacking. This strategy is based on the idea of a connected brain. The human brain builds a very strong network of neurons based on our daily actions and routines — that’s how we develop habits. The more often we undertake a task, the stronger and more efficient the connections become. The most basic habits and routines are so deeply ingrained in the brain that they become reflexes. For instance, we take shower in the morning, say thank you after a meal, or open the blinds when the sun rises without having to think about it.

So when we need to build a new habit, the easiest way to make it stick is to capitalize on the network of associations. Identify a strong habit that you have and attach the new one to it. This is a form of intention implementation, but you focus on pairing the new habit with an old one rather than associating with a particular time and day. How does this look when applied to everyday life? Here are a few examples:

• After I switch off my alarm in the morning, I will drink a glass of lemon water.
• After pouring myself a cup of coffee in the morning, I will write down my day’s goals.
• After closing my laptop at the end of the work day, I will immediately change into my gym clothes.
• After I sit down to have dinner with my family, I will share one interesting thing I’ve learned today.
• After getting into bed at night, I will read 10 pages of a book.