The WOOP Method: A Strategy to Achieve Your Goals
Many people want to change their lives: save more money, lose weight, complete a project, or acquire a new habit. However, their current routine has become an obstacle, and excuses prevent them from moving forward. It's important to create goals, systems, and habits to succeed in life, without forgetting that you need to find the necessary motivation to start or finish what you begin. Most people don't achieve their goals because of obstacles they can't overcome due to a lack of clarity, commitment, focus, and confidence.
Gabriele Oettingen, professor of psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg, one of the world's leading authorities on motivation, and author of * Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation*, has developed, along with her team, the WOOP method: "A science-based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfill their desires, establish preferences, and change their habits." This method combines positive thinking with reality checking.
In her studies, Oettingen has discovered that positive thinking alone is not enough to achieve our goals. Dreaming is fine, however; it is the resolution of present obstacles that helps us achieve what we desire. According to her, visualization can create a feeling of satisfaction, and when we are satisfied, the energy we need to achieve our goal dissipates, tricking our brain into believing that we have already achieved the success we seek. As a result, we feel happy, more relaxed, and don't put in the effort to achieve our goals.
What is the WOOP method?
The WOOP method is a four-stage process: Wish-Outcome-Obstacle-Plan , designed to help people change their habits and achieve their goals instead of making plans they'd really like to accomplish but never manage to. The first letter of each of these four words gave the method its name:
W – Wish – Specify a wish
O – Outcome -Identify an outcome
O – Obstacle -Specify obstacles
P – Plan – Develop a plan to overcome each obstacle
Through this method, you can: 1. Visualize what you desire, 2. Know what you want to achieve and visualize how you will feel then, 3. Discover what obstacles might prevent you from achieving it, and 4. What you can do to overcome those obstacles. In this way, you will feel more motivated, capable of making conscious decisions, and able to act in the face of those obstacles according to a plan. If you anticipate potential problems, you will have the strength and knowledge necessary to act appropriately.
How does the method work?
The WOOP management method can be understood by explaining it through the words that gave rise to its name.
W / Desire
What do you want to achieve? It should be something exciting, but at the same time "realistic"—that is, entirely feasible to carry out and successfully complete. Remember, it can be anything you want, but it must be measurable and completely achievable.
O / Result
Analyze the benefits you can receive and think about the best possible outcome; always visualize what's best for you.
O / Obstacles
Think about what the biggest obstacles might be that stand in your way of achieving the results you expect and have envisioned. Remember that we're primarily looking for "internal" obstacles—those within yourself—without neglecting external ones that could prevent you from moving forward.
P / Plan
How can you overcome any obstacles that may arise? This last step indicates that you should create a plan so that you can act effectively in the face of different situations that may occur.
What should we do if we want to change a habit?
Let's suppose you want to consume less sugar
Desire - Express the desire, visualize it, feel it: I want to consume less sugar.
Outcome - Think about the results: By eating less sugar I will have a healthier diet, my blood sugar levels will be better, I will be able to lose weight, among other benefits.
Obstacles - Analyze possible interferences: I usually reward myself with sweets to keep going, I always have some sweets nearby.
Plan - Create a plan that helps you act effectively and also conditions your brain differently: I will not have sweets nearby, I will reward myself with another food that does not have sugar, such as nuts or almonds.
In summary
For your experience with this technique to be positive, you need to conduct a thorough analysis of your desires, emotions, habits, and preferences; have clear objectives; anticipate any potential obstacles you might encounter; and know how to resolve them effectively. Keep in mind that if you don't achieve your goals immediately, you must give yourself time (breaking old habits isn't easy). Be forgiving of yourself without being negligent, and treat yourself with respect and appreciation to keep moving forward.
Ramona Ávila Núñez, PhD