17 The Contral af the Unwanted

Intentions to elo 111.ore gooel anel less bacl ure reliably associatccl with Hel:uul efforts in thc intencled clirections (Ajzen. 1991; Goclin & Kok. 1996; Sheeran, 2()()2). Howevcr, intention-behavior relations are lllodest, largely duc to thc fact that people, despite having formed strang intentions, fail to Hct on them (Orbell & Sheeran, 1998). Given this predieament. one w011.ders what people can do to facilitate tbe translation 01' intentions into behavior. In this chaptet", it is suggested that people should engage in a seeond aet 01' willing by making il'-then plans (Le., implementation intentions) that specify how thc (goal) Intention is to be realized. Wo argue that such plans produce UutOlllUtiC action contral by intentionally elolegating the control 01' one's goul-clirected thoughts, feelings, anel behaviors to specHic. situational cues. Thus, by I'ormlng implementation intentions. people can stratcgically swltch [rom consciolls and cl:" fo1'tl'ul control 01' their goal-clirectecl behaviors to being automatically C011.t1'ollecl by seleetecl situational cues. We understancl Lhis type of nutol1l.aLic action contral as strategie automaticity or instant habits (Gollwltzer, 1999), as it originates I'rom a single act of will ratbel' than being produccd by 1'cpeated emd eonsistent selection of a certain course of action in the same sitLultion (Le.. prineiples 01' routinization; Anclc1'son. 1987: Fitts & Posner, 1967: Newell & Rosenbloom, 1981). Thc first part 01' thc chapter discusscs research that explores how in.l.pLc~ mentation intentions can help people Lo promote getting started on theil'