A plan in one sentence
If I notice [a specific situation], then I will [a small action I can start there]. Example: “If I start opening a feed in bed, I will put the phone on the charger across the room and turn the bedside light off.” Adapt the action to your own setting.
“I will stop watching porn” states a goal. It leaves several decisions until later: how you will notice the moment, what you will do instead and whether that response is available where you are. An if–then plan writes one of those decisions in advance.
The useful version is small enough to remember when you are tired. It does not try to account for every urge or replace support you need. Start with one recurring situation, choose an action and see what happens when you try it. You can improve the sentence after you have something specific to review.
Choose a cue you can notice
A cue is the “if” part. It can be an observable action, a time and place, or a feeling you recognise. “If I am weak” is a judgment, not a cue. “If I take my phone into bed after midnight” describes something you could actually notice and respond to.
Think back to a recent episode without replaying explicit details. What was the first ordinary step? Opening a particular feed? Taking a laptop into an empty room? Finishing work and having no plan for the next hour? Pick a moment early enough that you still have a straightforward next action.
Do not invent a trigger because a list says it is common. Your pattern may be different, or you may not have enough information yet. In that case, begin by noting the situation for a few days. “Unsure” is more useful than confidently planning around a cause you have not observed.
Make the response available where the cue happens
The “then” part needs a clear beginning. “I will live a better life” cannot be started in the same way as “I will stand up and leave the phone in the kitchen.” Choose an action you are willing and able to take, without requiring special equipment, another person’s immediate reply or a perfect mood.
- In bed: “If I reach for explicit searches, I will close the browser and leave the phone on the desk.”
- Avoiding a task: “If I open a feed instead of starting the report, I will close the feed and write one rough sentence.”
- After work: “If I sit down alone and start aimless browsing, I will put the phone on charge and prepare dinner.”
- During an urge: “If I notice the impulse to search, I will stand up and follow my short urge-surfing exercise away from the screen.”
These are examples to adapt, not instructions that suit everyone. If you share a room or need your phone for essential contact, choose a workable position for it. If leaving home is impractical, choose a different activity indoors. A feasible plan is easier to assess than a demanding one you cannot begin.
Check for the hidden second decision
A plan can sound precise while still postponing the hard part. “If I get an urge, I will do something productive” asks you to choose the activity later. “If I get an urge, I will call someone” may depend on knowing whom to call and whether they are available.
Fill in the missing detail now. Name the task, prepare the object or agree on a support arrangement. Give yourself a fallback: if the person cannot talk, you will make tea in the kitchen or open the breathing exercise. The fallback should remain a small action, not a second entire programme.
Rehearse it once without testing yourself against porn
Read the sentence aloud or walk through the response in its ordinary setting. Put the charger where you said it would be. Open the document you want to return to. Save the support tool where you can find it. You do not need explicit material open to practise moving the phone or changing activities.
Keep the sentence somewhere you will see it before the vulnerable period. Use neutral wording if other people may see the note or notification. A reminder that says “Evening plan” can point you back to the decision without disclosing anything you wanted to keep private.
Review the attempt, not your character
After you try it, ask three questions: Did I notice the cue? Did I begin the response? What got in the way? If you missed the cue, choose an earlier or clearer one. If the response was impractical, make it smaller. If it helped, keep it long enough to see whether it remains useful.
Research calls these plans “implementation intentions.” A meta-analysis covering 642 tests examines when and how such plans support goal pursuit; its findings include the importance of plan format, motivation and rehearsal. These studies span different goals. They do not establish that the examples on this page treat problematic porn use or that AXIOM has a measured success rate.
You can keep one plan and still ask for more help. If porn use repeatedly disrupts daily life or feels outside your control, consider a qualified professional who can assess your circumstances. Bring your observations and the plans you have tried. Those are useful details even when the sentence was not enough by itself.