WOOP

Gabriele Oettingen's mental-contrasting method — Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan — on one page. Positive thinking alone doesn't move people; twenty years of motivation research behind WOOP show the engine is the contrast. Name a wish that's dear to you and feasible in your timeframe, dwell on the best outcome until you can feel it, then face the inner obstacle in the way — the habit, emotion, or excuse in you, not other people. The sheet sets outcome and obstacle literally face to face, then turns the contrast into steering: up to four if-then plans that pre-decide your response, so when the obstacle shows up the decision is already made. The order matters — outcome before obstacle, obstacle before plan. Fill it in for a wish you're working on now, or print it blank and WOOP by hand as a daily practice.

• Portrait
• 1 page
• Planning

Best for: Turning a wish into an executable plan by facing the inner obstacle and pre-deciding the if-then response.