WOOP goals: Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan

Write your wish, the best outcome, the obstacle in you that could stop it, and your plan for that moment.

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Why this works

Picturing the future you want and then the obstacle in the present that stands in the way built commitment that matched people's real chances: strong when success was likely, weak when it was not (Oettingen, Pak and Schnetter, 2001).

In a study of 66 high-school students preparing for the PSAT, those who did mental contrasting with an if-then plan completed about 60% more practice questions than a control group. Exam scores were not reported (Duckworth and colleagues, 2011). WOOP is the everyday form of that exercise.

  • Source: Oettingen, G., Pak, H., & Schnetter, K. (2001). Self-regulation of goal setting: Turning free fantasies about the future into binding goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(5), 736-753. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.80.5.736
  • Source: Duckworth, A. L., Grant, H., Loew, B., Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2011). Self-regulation strategies improve self-discipline in adolescents: Benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions. Educational Psychology, 31(1), 17-26. doi:10.1080/01443410.2010.506003

Worked example

One WOOP for a month of GATE practice
StepAnswer
WishFinish the Control Systems PYQs this month
OutcomeWalking into the mock test calm
ObstacleI open my phone after dinner
PlanIf I open my phone after dinner, then I will put it in the other room and start a timer
Brain dumpType everything that is on your mind, one thing per line.When-and-where plannerPick the moment, the action and the place.Time estimate checkerEstimate a task in minutes, do it, then add how long it really took.

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