Implementation intentions are among the better-evidenced things in behavioural science (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 94 studies, d 0.65). Task initiation usually fails at the point of performance, not at planning. A step small enough to not refuse is the best way of getting started. One paragraph, 1 mile, just the kitchen sink.
Achievement runs on five loops: time, doing, being seen, learning, and timed dopamine. Together they build the habit, and a new story about who you are and what you can do.
Loops, the app we launch on Thursday here, runs all five on purpose, then stops them from breaking.
Matthews (Dominican University, 2015, N=267) found that writing goals down, sharing them with a friend and sending weekly progress reports moved completion from 43% to 76%. Writing alone helped. Writing plus being seen helped most. That's why accountability isn't a bolt-on feature here.
A 2020 CHI study found streaks were the top reason people abandoned them, and that missing a single day made someone 63% more likely to quit entirely. The mechanic designed to keep you engaged is the one that ends it. Hence rest days, and progress that counts when it's partial.
Achievement runs on five loops: time, doing, being seen, learning, and timed dopamine. Together they build the habit and a new story about who you are and what you can do.
Loops runs all five on purpose, then stops them from breaking. Write the first paragraph, not the chapter. Some progress counts as done. Four rest days a month, so one bad day doesn't end a streak. A buddy who cheers. Dora, an AI coach who knows your goals and never judges.
Built for ADHD. It was the highest bar.
