The magic of “what, where, when”

The tiny spell that makes daily practice inevitable

You don’t need more motivation. You need a plan your nervous system can’t wriggle out of.

That’s where the “what, where, when” formula comes in. A simple sentence. A tiny spell. A way of bending intention into action.

Psychologists call them implementation intentions. I call them the closest thing to magic spells for habit-building.

Here’s why they matter and how they work in real life.

The trap of motivation

Motivation feels good, but it leaks fast.

You watch a YouTube guru, you feel like you’ll change your life tomorrow… and then you don’t.

Without a structure, motivation evaporates. With “what, where, when,” you don’t leave it to mood.

You leave it to subconscious mechanics.

The power of precision

“Write more” is a wish.

But phrased as a what, where, when statement, it becomes a command: “I will write for 20 minutes at 7 am in my kitchen, notebook open.”

With that exact cue—time, place, action—you collapse a vague desire into a concrete moment. Your subconscious knows what to do.

And here’s why I call this formula a kind of spell: it echoes what the mystical tradition has always said about imprinting the subconscious.

Joseph Murphy, in The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, taught that writing down and repeating precise affirmations “programs” the subconscious, liberating its full creative power. He likened the subconscious to God, and the affirmations to prayer.

Neville Goddard was all about precise affirmations: the clearer and more vivid the inner picture we form, the more powerfully it works.

Different languages—psychology or mysticism—but the same core truth: precision turns wishes into reality

How your brain loves shortcuts

Implementation intentions work because the brain is lazy in the best way.

By tying action to a cue, you automate behavior. No negotiation, no overthinking. Miss a day? Fine. The system resets at the next cue.

Psychologists call this strategic automaticity, a conscious plan that later runs with little effort.

Or, as Joseph Murphy said decades ago, precise statements “program the subconscious” for the reality we want.

Different lens, same outcome: you’re no longer wrestling with yourself. The habit just runs.

Stories from the lab

Researchers tested this with exercise. One group just read about the benefits. Another read, and also filled out this sentence:

“During the next week, I will partake in at least twenty minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME] at/in [PLACE].”

The difference? Striking. The second group exercised about 77% more often than those who only read the pamphlet.

And this isn’t a one-off. Dozens of studies have replicated the effect across behaviors: breast self-exams, healthier diets, cutting alcohol, even taking vitamins.

Write the spell, and the odds tilt hard in your favor.

Your turn

So pick one habit. Writing. Meditating. Moving. Cold calling. Then write your own:

“During the next week, I will [BEHAVIOR] on [DAY] at [TIME] in [PLACE].”

Say it. Ink it. Stick it on your fridge.

This is not about discipline. It’s about building small structures that dissolve resistance.

The paradox

Freedom doesn’t come from willpower. It comes from the quiet magic of planting exact instructions in the subconscious, and then letting reality catch up.

Write the sentence. Watch what happens.