What is the Intention-Action Gap?
The intention-action gap describes the discrepancy between our intentions, or what we plan to achieve, and our actual actions, or what we ultimately do. This occurs because we are naturally inclined toward immediate gratification, which can lead us to prioritize short-term rewards, regardless of our underlying attitudes, beliefs, and values.
The Basic Idea
“My New Year’s resolution will be to exercise for 30 minutes a day, four times a week,” you think to yourself, eating holiday cookies on the couch and watching Love, Actually. Alas, December rolls around and you haven’t met the goal you set for yourself. Months pass, and you set a similar resolution the following January. Most people have experienced a similar cycle: setting an intention and not following through.
This intention-action gap, also known as the value-action gap or knowledge-attitudes-practice gap, occurs when one’s values, attitudes, or intentions don’t match their actions.1 Sometimes, the gap results from behavioral bias favoring immediate gratification. We may know that getting into a fitness routine will have long-term benefits, but watching the next episode of our favorite TV show is more gratifying in the moment. Alternatively, the intention-action gap can result from being too ambitious. We often intend to choose the “right” option, but something about our environment or the action itself can stop us from carrying it out.
Read more: Moving the Mental Goalposts: Why Aiming for the “Best” Isn’t Always the Best Strategy
One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.
– Paulo Coelho, author ofThe Alchemist
