Build a concrete Will commitment
Convert the chosen option into a specific next action with a date, and ask "what will you do?" not "what will you try?"
Key takeaways
- What it is: Convert the chosen option into a specific next action with a date, and ask "what will you do?" not "what will you try?"
- Why it works: The difference between "I will try to..." and "I will..." is not semantic — it reflects a fundamentally different psychological commitment. A specific, time-bounded action is an implementation intention: research shows these dramatically outperform vague intentions for actual follow-through. The Will stage is where insight converts to commitment, and this conversion is only as strong as its specificity.
- Evidence: Backed by randomized trials / meta-analyses.
- Avoid: Accepting "I’ll try to get to it this week" as a commitment — which is a polite way of saying there is no real plan. Push for a specific action and a specific day.
Why it works
The difference between "I will try to..." and "I will..." is not semantic — it reflects a fundamentally different psychological commitment. A specific, time-bounded action is an implementation intention: research shows these dramatically outperform vague intentions for actual follow-through. The Will stage is where insight converts to commitment, and this conversion is only as strong as its specificity.
How to do it
- 1Ask: "What will you do? By when? On a scale of 1–10, how committed are you?"
- 2If the commitment score is below 7, ask: "What would need to be different to raise it to a 7 or above?"
- 3Get the action stated as "I will [specific act] by [specific date]" — not "I’ll think about it."
- 4Ask what obstacles might arise and what they will do if those obstacles appear.
What the evidence says
RCT / meta-analysisImplementation intentions — specifying what, when, and how — show robust positive effects on goal attainment in a large body of experimental research.
Honest caveat: The commitment-scaling question (1–10) is a practitioner tool; using a low score to renegotiate the action is clinical practice rather than a separately trialed step.
- — Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006), implementation intentions meta-analysis, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
Common mistake
Accepting "I’ll try to get to it this week" as a commitment — which is a polite way of saying there is no real plan. Push for a specific action and a specific day.
IX Coach closes every session with a Will commitment in the format "I will X by [date]" and checks back at the next session before moving to new goals.
Practice this with IX Coach →