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Free Claude Skill

From wish to behaviour with the WOOP method

Setting a goal or intention is easy. Sticking to it is not. This skill guides you in four steps from wish, desired outcome, the real inner obstacle, and an if-then plan that works. Based on 20 years of research by Gabriele Oettingen at NYU.

Scientifically validated
Four short steps
Concrete, then plan
Download for free How does it work
MethodMental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions
ResearchNYU and the University of Hamburg
Time10 to 15 minutes per goal
Objective clearly defined
When the plan is active
WOOP Analysis
W
Wish
10 new customers within 3 months.
O
Outcome
Rust. Control over which customers I choose.
O
Obstacle
Revulsion towards acquisition, fear of rejection.
P
Plan
If I'm at my desk at 9 o'clock, I'll send one message first.

Why WOOP works and positive thinking not

Pure positive visualisation makes people more passive. The brain thinks the goal has already been achieved and relaxes. WOOP prevents this by bringing together wish and obstacle.

Quickly applicable

Four short steps that you can do in 10 to 15 minutes. No long sessions, no vague workbook.

Proven effective

Studies on weight loss, studying, exercise, and smoking cessation show that WOOP really changes behaviour.

Seeks the real obstacle

The skill doesn't stop at superficial answers. It probes until you reach the underlying obstacle that is truly blocking your behaviour.

Concrete, then plan

The result is not an intention but an implementation intention that automates your behaviour at the right moment.

This is how a WOOP session via Claude

You set a goal, the skill guides you through the four steps and gives you an if-then plan that you can use tomorrow.

Focus the objective

The coach checks whether your wish is achievable in three to six months and challenging enough to have an effect.

Visualise vividly

Not the practical outcome, but the emotional image, one concrete moment that you can truly picture.

Get to the bottom of it

The skill doesn't stop at the first answer. It keeps asking until you can name the real inner obstacle.

Plan that works

Concrete plan at that point with trigger and behaviour of a maximum of two minutes, immediately executable.

1

Formulate a wish

You type in the goal or intention. The skill checks the timeframe, challenge, and whether it's within your control. If necessary, it rewrites the wish.

2

Imagine the outcome

What is the very best outcome, not practical but emotional? The skill asks for one concrete image and one core emotion.

3

Expose obstacle

No external excuses. The coach will continue until you name an emotion, habit, thought, or impulse that is holding you back.

4

Draw up a plan

Form: If I experience X, then I do Y. Behaviour for a maximum of two minutes. Immediately executable without preparation.

Example output

This is what a complete WOOP analysis looks like. Clear, concrete, and with a plan you can start tomorrow.

WOOP Analysis: 10 New Customers Q3

W Wish

10 new paying customers in the next 3 months, averaging 1 per week after a ramp-up period.

Challenge score: 8 — Deadline: 3 months

O Outcome

For the first time, my business feels calm. I can choose which client to take on. I dare to say no.

Core motion: direction

O Obstacle

Aversion to active prospecting. As soon as I open a prospect list, I feel it and open another tab.

Type: Emotion — Level: Fear of rejection

P Plan

When I'm at my desk at 9 am, I immediately open my prospect list and send one message.

Behaviour max 2 minutes, no preparation needed

Backup plans for the same obstacle

  • If I feel revulsion at the list, I set a timer for 10 minutes and send as many messages as I can in that time.
  • If someone doesn't respond after a week, I'll send a second message without feeling guilty.
  • When I think I'm overstaying my welcome, I remind myself that I'm offering a service that truly solves a problem.

Without versus with WOOP coaching

A goal without a plan feels motivating but changes little. A WOOP plan is tough and concrete.

Without WOOP

Vague intention

  • The goal remains at the level of a wish you write down in January.
  • Positive thinking makes the brain more passive; no action follows.
  • External excuses are given room, the real obstacle remains out of sight.
  • No trigger, no behaviour, no automation.
  • After two weeks, you're back to doing what you've always done.
With WOOP

Plan that sets things in motion

  • The goal is achievable, challenging, and within reach.
  • Mental contrasting mobilises energy precisely because reality is inherent within it.
  • The internal obstacle has been named and is recognisable.
  • Then the plan links behaviour to a concrete trigger.
  • Behaviour becomes automatic over time, you don't need constant persuasion.

Under the bonnet, the System prompt

A fragment from the skill instructions that Claude follows once you enter a goal.

SKILL.md — kern
# Role You are a WOOP coach who helps people bridge the gap between intention and behaviour. Based on the work of Gabriele Oettingen and Peter Gollwitzer. # Method step_1_wish: Ask the user for a goal or intention Check for feasibility in three to six months Check for challenge score of seven or eight Check for personal influence and willpower Rewrite the wish if it does not comply step_2_outcome: What would be the very best outcome? Not practical, emotional A vivid concrete image One core emotion stap_3_hindernis Ask about the internal obstacle No external excuses Ask until you get to the bottom Type: emotion or habit or thought or impulse stap_4_plan: formula “If I [trigger], then I do [behaviour]” The trigger is concrete and recognisable. The behaviour lasts a maximum of two minutes. The behaviour is directly executable without preparation. # Cartoon Sober, human, no excessive enthusiasm. Ask questions before drawing conclusions.

Frequently Asked questions

Everything about the WOOP method, the Claude skill, and what you can and cannot use it for.

De WOOP-methode is een techniek die gebruikt wordt om doelen te bereiken. WOOP staat voor Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, en Plan. * **Wish (Wens):** Bedenk een realistische en belangrijke wens die je wilt bereiken. * **Outcome (Uitkomst):** Stel je voor hoe het voelt en hoe het eruitziet als je je wens hebt vervuld. Dit helpt je te motiveren. * **Obstacle (Obstakel):** Identificeer het belangrijkste interne obstakel dat je ervan weerhoudt je wens te vervullen. Dit kan een gedachte, een gevoel of een gewoonte zijn. * **Plan (Plan):** Ontwikkel een "if-then" plan om het obstakel te overwinnen. Dit plan moet concreet en haalbaar zijn. Bijvoorbeeld: "Als ik het obstakel X tegenkom, dan zal ik Y doen." Door deze vier stappen te doorlopen, help je jezelf om bewust te worden van mogelijke hindernissen en bereid je je voor om ermee om te gaan, wat de kans op succes vergroot.

WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. It's a mental technique from the research of psychologist Gabriele Oettingen at NYU. She combined mental contrasting with Peter Gollwitzer's implementation intentions. The idea is that you should always link positive visualisation directly to the realistic obstacles holding you back, otherwise your brain relaxes and you do nothing.

How does WOOP differ from SMART goals?

SMART makes a goal specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. That's a good foundation, but it says nothing about behaviour. WOOP goes a step further and links the goal to an if-then plan that automates your behaviour the moment an obstacle appears. You can combine them effectively, SMART for the goal itself and WOOP for the execution.

Does WOOP work for all purposes?

No. WOOP works best for goals that you have influence over, that are challenging but achievable within three to six months, and where the real obstacle is internal (an emotion, habit, thought or impulse). WOOP is less suitable for goals that are entirely outside your control, or for pure external obstacles. Mental contrasting can also show that a goal is not achievable, which is also valuable information.

How do I use this skill in Claude?

Download the zip file, extract it onto your computer, and place the folder in your Claude skills directory. Then, open a conversation with Claude and type something like “I want to get ten clients, do WOOP” or “Help me with my New Year's resolution.” Claude will pick up the skill and guide you through the four steps.

Een WOOP-sessie duurt 3 tot 5 minuten.

A first session lasts ten to fifteen minutes. Afterwards, you will have a goal, an image, an obstacle, and a plan. If you use the plan and it doesn't work, you can have a new session in five minutes to adjust your obstacle or plan.

Is this the same method as in the book Rethinking Positive Thinking?

Yes. Gabriele Oettingen describes WOOP in her book Rethinking Positive Thinking from 2014. The skill follows that method faithfully and refers to the original studies in the bibliography. For the official WOOP app and background information, please visit woopmylife.org.

Wat is een implementation intention precies?

An implementation intention is an if-then plan in the form “if situation X occurs, then I will perform behaviour Y”. Research by Peter Gollwitzer shows that this type of plan triggers behaviour much more reliably than a general intention. The combination with mental contrasting makes the effect even stronger because your plan targets the precise moment when an obstacle arises.

Is the skill in Dutch?

Yes, the skill is written entirely in Dutch. You can also use it in English if you prefer, Claude automatically adapts to the language of your input.

Download de WOOP skill now

Free, no account needed. Unpack, place in your Claude skills directory, and you're ready to WOOP your first goal.

Free Claude Skill

AI WOOP Method Coach

Mental Contrasting plus Implementation Intentions as a complete skill. Including two detailed examples and references to the original studies.

Download ZIP
FormatSKILL.md in zip
LanguageDutch plus English
LicenceMIT, free to use
Version1.0.0

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