It ’ s easy to come up with ( b ) lame excuses for not doing a new happier habit .

For example ...

If it ’ s raining , then you don ’ t go to the gym . So , you gotta plan ahead with an if / then backup plan .

For example ...

IF it ’ s raining out and it ’ s harder to get to the gym …. THEN I will work out at home to exercise videos on YouTube .

Research reports that if / then planners do far better than non-planners . Peter Gollwitzer , an NYU psychologist , reviewed results from ninety-four studies using if / then techniques . He found significantly higher success rates for just about every goal . In one study , 91 percent of people who used an if / then plan stuck to an exercise program versus 39 percent of non-planners .

So , IF / THEN plan ahead for success !

Fill in the following blanks in advance — so you ’ re prepared for “ worst-case scenarios .”

IF happens to stop me from my new happier habit , THEN I will do instead , so I can still do a form of my new happier habit .