How to Turn an Intention into an If-Then Plan

An if-then plan connects a situation you expect to meet with an action you want to take: “If this happens, then I will do that.” It gives a broad intention a place in your day.

Your intention might be “Be present with my family.” An if-then plan could be “When we sit down for dinner, I’ll leave my phone on the kitchen counter.”

Keep the intention and the action distinct

An intention describes what you want to practice across different situations. An action is one way to practice it.

You might keep the same intention for weeks while changing your action. Dinner may be the right place to start. Later, you may want to focus on listening during the school run.

Pick a cue you will actually meet

Use an ordinary moment: finishing work, making coffee, sitting down to eat, or noticing that you are about to interrupt someone.

A useful plan is specific enough that you can tell whether the moment arrived. “When I have more time” leaves that decision open. “After I close my laptop” gives you a clearer cue.

Intention	A plan to try
Be present with my family	When dinner starts, I’ll put my phone on the counter.
Make room for myself	After making my morning coffee, I’ll sit down for five minutes before opening messages.
Listen before reacting	When I notice I’m preparing a reply, I’ll let the other person finish and ask one question.

Choose a response small enough to use

Start with an action you can take under ordinary conditions. You can adjust it after trying it. If the plan needs a quiet house, spare time, and a good mood, it may not help on the days you need it most.

Research by Peter Gollwitzer and Paschal Sheeran reviews how implementation intentions can support goal achievement. The studies cover different goals and conditions; their findings are not a promised success rate for your plan or for Clarido. Read the research.

Check what happened

After trying the plan, ask: Did I notice the cue? Was the action realistic? What got in the way?

If you missed it, adjust the cue or the action. You can keep what matters while changing how you practice it.

Clarido helps you choose an intention, keep it on your lock screen, and check in on how you showed up. Use the reminder to reconnect with your words, then try your chosen action when its moment arrives.