Ever heard the term (acronym, really) WOOP?  Neither had I.  It’s a goal setting/ habit changing tool supported by 20-years of scientific research.  I learned about the technique from the free happiness class Yale offers online.

What is WOOP?

Gabrielle Oettingen, an NYC psychology professor, has written the book and done the research on WOOPing.  WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan.  You focus and visualize on a goal or change you’d like to make for five minutes a day.  To me it feels like a cross between mediation and self-hypnosis.  It goes like this.  You spend five, undistracted minutes, truly visualizing the following:

W: Your wish.  Something you want to change or achieve.  Big or small.  Long term or short term.

O: The outcome of achieving your wish.  What will happen if you get it?  What will your life look like?

O: What obstacles will get in your way?  Envision what road blocks you’ll come across and what might stop you from getting where you want to go.

P: Make a plan using if-then statements.  If (this obstacle arises) then (I’ll combat it with this action).

What You Really Want

You are supposed to be honest with yourself and determine if you really want the […]