<p>The answer is yes and can be supported by a theory called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implementation_intention" rel="nofollow">implementation intention</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>An implementation intention is a self-regulatory strategy in the
  form of an "if-then plan" that can lead to better goal attainment, as
  well as help in habit and behavior modification. It is subordinate to
  goal intentions as it specifies the when, where and how portions of
  goal-directed behavior. The concept of implementation intentions was
  introduced in 1999 by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer. Studies
  conducted in 1997 and earlier showed that the use of implementation
  intentions can result in a higher probability of successful goal
  attainment, by predetermining a specific and desired goal-directed
  behavior in response to a particular future event or cue.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-09T17:39:09.707Z
2016-03-09T17:39:09.707Z
DesignerAnalyst
<p>A significant amount of people say that you need to do things over and over again to implement a habit into your subconscious mind where you no longer have to think to do it. If, let's say, I want to implement a habit of drinking water when I walk in my bathroom in the morning but fail to do it due to the fact that this is attempted in the morning 2 minutes after waking where I'm still tired and less awake, would it be possible for me to implement this habit or at least become much more conscious of it by playing the scenario in my head, maybe even acting it out mid-day, or just thinking about why I should do it, etc. ?</p>

<cognitive-psychology><cognitive-neuroscience><habituation>
Can habits be implemented by playing mental scenarios or playing things in your head?
user19556
# Can habits be implemented by playing mental scenarios or playing things in your head?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-03-08)

A significant amount of people say that you need to do things over and over again to implement a habit into your subconscious mind where you no longer have to think to do it. If, let's say, I want to implement a habit of drinking water when I walk in my bathroom in the morning but fail to do it due to the fact that this is attempted in the morning 2 minutes after waking where I'm still tired and less awake, would it be possible for me to implement this habit or at least become much more conscious of it by playing the scenario in my head, maybe even acting it out mid-day, or just thinking about why I should do it, etc. ?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, cognitive-neuroscience, habituation


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-03-09. Score: 1

The answer is yes and can be supported by a theory called [implementation intention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implementation_intention).

> An implementation intention is a self-regulatory strategy in the
> form of an "if-then plan" that can lead to better goal attainment, as
> well as help in habit and behavior modification. It is subordinate to
> goal intentions as it specifies the when, where and how portions of
> goal-directed behavior. The concept of implementation intentions was
> introduced in 1999 by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer. Studies
> conducted in 1997 and earlier showed that the use of implementation
> intentions can result in a higher probability of successful goal
> attainment, by predetermining a specific and desired goal-directed
> behavior in response to a particular future event or cue.


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