Most people are drowning in planners. Honestly, if color-coded sticky notes and $40 leather-bound journals were the secret to success, we’d all be millionaires by now. But they aren't. We keep buying the tools because we’re addicted to the feeling of being organized rather than the grit of actually finishing something. This is where the want it wish it do it framework comes in, and it’s way less "woo-woo" than it sounds.
It’s basically a psychological roadmap.
You’ve probably seen the phrase on Pinterest boards or Instagram captions, usually next to a latte and a laptop. It looks like fluff. But if you dig into the cognitive science of goal setting—specifically stuff like Gabriele Oettingen’s WOOP model (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)—you realize there’s a real mechanism behind the "want it wish it do it" mantra. It’s about moving from passive desire to active execution.
The Problem With Just "Wanting" Things
Wanting is easy. Everyone wants a six-pack, a side hustle that pays the mortgage, or a clean house. But "wanting" is just a biological signal. It’s dopamine firing off at the idea of a reward.
The issue? Dopamine doesn't care if you actually get the thing. It just likes the chase. When you say you "want" something, your brain gets a little hit of satisfaction just for thinking about it. This is why people announce their goals on Facebook and then never follow through. The social validation of saying you’re going to run a marathon feels almost as good as actually crossing the finish line, so your brain loses the urgency to do the hard work.
Turning a Wish Into a Strategy
So, how does want it wish it do it fix this? It starts by separating the "want" from the "wish."
Think of the "wish" phase as the visualization part, but with a twist. Real experts in behavioral psychology, like Dr. Andrew Huberman, often talk about how visualization can actually backfire if you only focus on the positive outcome. If you just visualize the trophy, your brain thinks you’ve already won. You get relaxed. You get lazy.
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The "wish" part of want it wish it do it needs to be specific. What does the "wish" look like in high definition? If you want a new job, the wish isn't "I want to be rich." The wish is: "I want to be a Senior Project Manager at a tech firm where I have Fridays off."
The Real Difference Between Dreaming and Doing
- Wanting: A vague craving (e.g., "I want to be fit").
- Wishing: A defined objective with an emotional "why" (e.g., "I wish to run a 5k under 25 minutes so I feel capable again").
- Doing: The ugly, sweaty, boring part (e.g., "Putting on shoes at 6:00 AM when it’s raining").
Why Most People Fail at "Do It"
The transition from "wish" to "do" is where the graveyard of New Year’s resolutions lives. Usually, it’s because we try to do too much. We go from zero to sixty. We decide that because we "want" to be a writer, we have to write 2,000 words a day.
That’s a lie. It’s unsustainable.
The want it wish it do it philosophy succeeds when the "do" is shrunken down to its smallest possible component. James Clear talks about this in Atomic Habits—the idea of the "two-minute rule." If you can’t do it in two minutes, it’s too big. You don't "do" a marathon. You "do" the first mile. Or the first block.
How to Apply Want It Wish It Do It Right Now
Stop overthinking the "how" for a second. You don't need a masterclass. You don't need a mentor yet. You need to identify where you are stuck in the cycle. Are you a chronic wanter? A professional wisher? Or are you a "doer" who is running in the wrong direction?
Step 1: Audit Your Desires
Write down three things you want. Be honest. Don't write what you should want. If you want a fancy car just to make your ex jealous, write it down. The "want it" phase has to be honest, or the "do it" phase will lack the fuel to keep going when things get annoying.
Step 2: Formalize the Wish
Take one of those wants and turn it into a concrete wish. Use the "If/Then" logic. "If I spend thirty minutes every morning on my portfolio, then I will have the portfolio finished by March." This creates a mental link between the action and the outcome.
Step 3: The Micro-Do
What is the smallest version of "doing it" today? If you want to start a podcast, "doing it" today isn't buying a $300 microphone. It’s recording a 30-second voice memo on your phone about a topic you love. That’s it. You did it.
The Scientific Edge: Implementation Intentions
There’s a lot of research on something called "implementation intentions." It’s basically a fancy way of saying you’ve decided when and where you will take action. People who use the want it wish it do it mindset without a schedule are just daydreaming.
A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that people who tracked their exercise and set a specific time/place were significantly more likely to follow through than those who just "wanted" to work out or read motivational material.
It turns out that "wishing" isn't enough. You have to lock the "do it" into a calendar.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Sometimes this framework gets confused with the "Law of Attraction." Let's be clear: sitting on your couch and "wishing" for a check to appear in the mail isn't what we're talking about. That’s a recipe for debt.
The want it wish it do it flow is a linear progression.
- The trap of "Wanting": Comparing yourself to others. You see someone’s "after" photo and want it, but you don't actually want their lifestyle (the chicken breasts and 5:00 AM gym sessions).
- The trap of "Wishing": Getting stuck in the research phase. Buying books about the thing instead of doing the thing.
- The trap of "Doing": Burnout. Trying to do everything at once and quitting by Tuesday.
Actionable Insights for the Next 24 Hours
You don't need another article. You need movement.
- Pick the "Thing": Choose the one project that’s been sitting in the back of your head for months.
- Define the Minimum Viable Action: What is the absolute least you can do to move the needle? If it's cleaning the garage, just move one box.
- Set a Trigger: Tie the "do it" to something you already do. "After I pour my first cup of coffee, I will write one sentence of my book."
- Kill the Perfectionism: The "do it" part is allowed to be bad. Your first draft will be trash. Your first workout will be embarrassing. Your first business attempt might fail. Do it anyway.
The magic isn't in the wanting or the wishing. It's in the repetition of the doing. Over time, the "do" becomes who you are, and the "want" disappears because you’re already living it.
Start by doing the one thing you’ve been avoiding. Right now. Seriously, put the phone down and go move that one box. That’s the only way the cycle actually works.
Once you’ve completed that first micro-task, don't look for the next big step. Just repeat the micro-task tomorrow. Consistency is the only bridge between the person who "wants" and the person who "is." Keep the "wish" visible to remind you why the "do" matters, but keep your eyes on the pavement. The results will take care of themselves as long as the action remains non-negotiable.
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Next Steps for Implementation:
- Identify your "Smallest Possible Action" (SPA) for your current top goal.
- Schedule that SPA for a specific time tomorrow morning.
- Remove one barrier today that stops you from "doing" (e.g., lay out your gym clothes or clear your desk).
- Stop talking about the goal to others for 48 hours to preserve your "identity capital" for the actual work.