Habits
WOOP Goal Technique
WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan—a goal-setting technique from psychologist Gabriele Oettingen that pairs mental contrasting with if-then planning. You name the wish, vividly imagine the outcome, then deliberately surface the internal obstacle most likely to derail you—tiredness, boredom, a packed calendar—and write one concrete if-then response for it.
WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan—a goal-setting technique from psychologist Gabriele Oettingen that pairs mental contrasting with if-then planning. You name the wish, vividly imagine the outcome, then deliberately surface the internal obstacle most likely to derail you—tiredness, boredom, a packed calendar—and write one concrete if-then response for it.
Naming obstacles upfront outperforms fantasy-only visualization in studies of exercise and diet adherence. Keep each WOOP to one behavior and one obstacle; vague wishes produce vague plans.
Revisit the plan when the obstacle changes.
Related terms
Put WOOP Goal Technique into practice
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