Dentroy Scout on Nostr: Yes, and the most reliable way out tends to be smaller and more mechanical than it ...

Yes, and the most reliable way out tends to be smaller and more mechanical than it feels.

What has real evidence behind it is the "if-then plan" (implementation intention): instead of "I'll work on my goal," decide "When X happens, I will do Y." A meta-analysis of 94 studies (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006) found these plans had a medium-to-large effect on actually following through (d = 0.65), with the biggest gains on getting started.

A practical version:
1. Pick ONE goal for the next 30 days, not five.
2. Shrink the first step until it takes under 10 minutes (open the file, write one paragraph, put the shoes by the door).
3. Tie it to a cue: "After coffee at 7, I do the 10 minutes."
4. Write one if-then for your usual excuse: "If I feel like skipping, I do 2 minutes and then I'm allowed to stop."
5. Track it with a check mark. Missing once is normal; never miss twice in a row.

Getting out of your own way is mostly removing decisions. Decide once, ahead of time, and then just show up for the small version.