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The WOOP method, in five small steps

WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. It pairs a hopeful picture of what you want with an honest look at what tends to get in the way — then gives you one plan for that moment.

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Why not just picture the goal?

Daydreaming about a bright future feels good, but on its own it can leave you less ready to act. Psychologist Gabriele Oettingen found that people did better when they followed the bright picture with the obstacle standing in the way. She called this mental contrasting.

Peter Gollwitzer studied the second half: if–then plans. Deciding in advance “if this cue shows up, then I’ll do that” can make it easier to start when the moment arrives. WOOP joins the two ideas into one short routine.

The steps

  1. Wish
    Pick something you care about and can actually influence. One clear sentence is enough.
  2. Outcome
    Picture one specific moment that would feel meaningful if it worked out. Add one detail you can see.
  3. Obstacle
    Name the inner snag — a thought, feeling or habit — that might get in the way. Outside events count less here than your own reaction to them.
  4. First move
    Choose one small action, with a when and a where.
  5. If–then plan
    “If that snag appears, then I will…” Name a cue you’ll recognize and one action you can take.

Wish: finish the first chapter of my story.
Outcome: I open the file and see a full draft, rough but there.
Obstacle: I tell myself it isn’t good enough and start rereading instead of writing.
First move: Tuesday at 8 pm, at the kitchen table: write one page.
If–then: if I catch myself rereading, then I’ll write the next sentence before I fix anything.

Try it with a map

Yasnoten turns these steps into a small handmade map: five prompts, a card you can keep or share, and a 21-day tracker with a short weekly review. It is a planning practice, not therapy or a promise of results.

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Sources

  1. Oettingen, G., & Mayer, D. (2002). The motivating function of thinking about the future: Expectations versus fantasies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.83.5.1198
  2. Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. doi:10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
  3. Wang, G., Wang, Y., & Gai, X. (2021). A meta-analysis of the effects of mental contrasting with implementation intentions on goal attainment. Frontiers in Psychology. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.565202
  4. Pham, L. B., & Taylor, S. E. (1999). From thought to action: Effects of process- versus outcome-based mental simulations on performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. doi:10.1177/0146167299025002010

WOOP is Gabriele Oettingen’s name for the method; Yasnoten is an independent tool and is not affiliated with her or her research group. Privacy, terms & refunds