I Chose and I Believe That It Will Come — Turning Expectation into Execution

I Chose and I Believe That It Will Come — Turning Expectation into Execution

Nadia had the quote taped to her monitor: I chose and I believe that it will come. For a while, belief felt electric. Then life happened—emails, errands, a rough week—and the “coming” didn’t. When she finally shipped her first product, it wasn’t because the mantra suddenly turned magic. It happened the week she added three missing pieces: a specific weekly goal, a WOOP worksheet that named her biggest obstacle (evening fatigue), and an if-then plan: If it’s 7:30 p.m., then I’ll set a 25-minute timer and storyboard one screen. The belief never left; it just became a starter pistol for behavior. That’s the quiet, practical power of expectation when it’s paired with plans that make action automatic. [1][4][5][6] Stanford Medicine+3Simply Psychology+3Cancer Control+3

TL;DR: Belief influences attention, persistence, and interpretation (self-fulfilling pathways), but it produces results when operationalized via WOOP (mental contrasting), implementation intentions (if-then plans), and specific, challenging goals with feedback. [1][5][4][6] Stanford Medicine+3Simply Psychology+3Taylor & Francis Online+3

Early CTA: Turn your belief into a 10-minute plan: Download the Belief-to-Behavior Starter Kit (WOOP + if-then templates).

Belief as Expectation (Not Magic)

Psychology calls this the self-fulfilling prophecy: when expectations shape behaviors—what we notice, how long we persist, which interpretations we choose—so that outcomes drift toward the original belief. Importantly, it isn’t mysticism; it’s behavior and feedback loops. Hold a strong expectation, and you’re more likely to take the micro-actions that confirm it (and ignore the ones that don’t). [1][2] Simply Psychology+1

Why this matters for your mantra: “I chose and I believe that it will come”“I chose and I believe that it will come” becomes powerful when you can answer, “Which behaviors will that belief make more likely—today?”

What the Science Says (Fast, Plain English)

• Self-efficacy (Bandura): This is your belief that you can execute the actions required for a result. High self-efficacy predicts greater effort, resilience, and recovery from setbacks. It grows through mastery experiences—small wins that prove capacity. [7] PMC
• Optimism: Tends to correlate with better health and adherence, likely via coping behaviors and reduced stress load—but optimism is not a substitute for plans. [8][9] PMC+1
• Goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham): Specific, challenging goals outperform “do your best,” especially with feedback. Vague hopes invite vague efforts. [6] Stanford Medicine
• Mental imagery/mental practice: Helpful when it rehearses process steps, not just success scenes. Best paired with action plans. [10][11] ScienceDirect+1
• Mental contrasting (WOOP/MCII): Purely positive fantasizing can reduce effort; contrasting the wish with the obstacle + planning the response (if-then) increases follow-through. [3][5] University of Hamburg - Psychology+1
• Implementation intentions (if-then plans): “If situation Y, then I will do X.” Robust evidence shows these dramatically raise the odds you act at the right moment. [4][11] Cancer Control+1

Pull-quote: Belief sets direction; plans set traction.

[FIGURE: Belief-to-Behavior funnel — Belief → Expectation → Specific Goal → WOOP → If-Then Plan → Action → Feedback.]

From Belief to Behavior — The 4-Step Plan

Step 1 — Choose a Specific, Challenging Goal (15 minutes)

1. Pick one 4-week outcome you control (e.g., “Publish 4 videos,” not “Go viral”).
2. Define ‘done’ metrics (e.g., 4 scripts, 4 edits, 4 uploads).
3. Add difficulty that stretches, not snaps. If current is 0 → aim for 4, not 12.
4. Schedule weekly feedback (Friday 30 minutes: review progress vs target).

Why this matters: Specific/challenging goals focus attention and effort; “do your best” lacks a reference and underperforms. [6] Stanford Medicine

Pitfall: Goal sprawl—keep one flagship goal to prevent plan dilution.

Step 2 — WOOP It (Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions) (10 minutes)

• Wish: “Ship 4 videos in 4 weeks.”
• Outcome: “Portfolio growth + 2 inbound leads.”
• Obstacle (inner): “Evening fatigue; doom-scrolling at 8 p.m.”
• Plan (if-then): “If it’s 7:30 p.m., then I set a 25-minute timer, open the storyboard doc, and draft one scene.”

Why this matters: Positive fantasizing can sap effort; contrasting the wish with the real obstacle restores energy for action. Adding if-then planning pre-loads the response when the obstacle appears. [3][5][4] University of Hamburg - Psychology+2Taylor & Francis Online+2

[FIGURE: WOOP worksheet with filled example.]

Step 3 — Build If-Then Plans for Critical Moments (10 minutes)

Create 5–7 triggers that cover the week’s bottlenecks:

• If it’s 7:30 p.m. then 25-minute storyboard.
• If I finish dinner then set phone in another room.
• If my brain says “Too tired” then walk 5 minutes + open editor.
• If I miss a session then I schedule a catch-up at Saturday 11 a.m.

Why this matters: Implementation intentions reliably help people translate intentions into action by automating cue-response links. [4][11] Cancer Control+1

Pro tip: Use phone alarms or calendar “Y-triggers” named exactly (“7:30 Storyboard Start”).

[FIGURE: If-Then map linking triggers to micro-actions.]

Step 4 — Create Feedback Loops That Grow Self-Efficacy (weekly, 20 minutes)

• Track visible wins: sessions completed, files exported, minutes of deep work.
• Run a micro-retro: What cue worked? What obstacle hit? What is next week’s single change?
• Bank mastery experiences: keep a “wins” log to cement “I can do this.”

Why this matters: Self-efficacy strengthens as you accumulate mastery experiences; that belief then feeds effort and persistence. [7] PMC

Mini Case Studies (Realistic Scenarios)

Case 1 — Weekly Videos, Finally

• Before: Sam believed he could grow a channel but shipped 0 videos in 2 months.
• Intervention (4 weeks): One specific goal; WOOP obstacle = “Netflix autopilot”; if-then: If 7:30 p.m., then storyboard 25 min.
• After (4 weeks): 4 videos published; average watch time up 18%; 2 inbound partnership emails.
• Mechanism: Expectancy sustained attention; if-then plans killed ambiguity at start time. [4][6] Cancer Control+1

Case 2 — Sales Outreach Without Dread

• Before: Jada “believed” she could hit 10 meetings/month but avoided outreach after rejections.
• Intervention (6 weeks): Goal = 60 quality touches/month; WOOP obstacle = “post-rejection slump”; if-then: If rejection email arrives, then 2-minute walk + send next template.
• After: 61 touches, 12 meetings booked, pipeline +€14k.
• Mechanism: Mental contrasting anticipated the emotional obstacle; if-then triggered a precise recovery behavior. [3][4] University of Hamburg - Psychology+1

FAQs

Is belief enough on its own? No. Expectation can nudge attention and persistence, but outcomes require behaviors. That’s why expectancy effects are strongest when linked to concrete action opportunities. [1][2][6] Simply Psychology+2EBSCO+2

Should I visualize success? Visualize process (steps, cues, corrections), not just the trophy. Mental practice helps performance—especially when it rehearses the how—but works best alongside WOOP and if-then plans. [10][11][5] ScienceDirect+2PMC+2

What if motivation dips? That’s normal. Use tiny if-then actions to re-enter the task (e.g., open editor, write 3 bullet points). As you rack up small wins, self-efficacy (confidence in your ability) rises—and motivation follows behavior. [7][4] PMC+1

Is optimism always good? Optimism correlates with better health behaviors and coping, but unrealistic optimism can blind you to risks. Counterbalance with mental contrasting so you face obstacles head-on. [8][5] PMC+1

Final Thoughts (and Your 10-Minute Start)

Belief is a powerful decision: I chose. But results come from friction-free execution: and I planned how it will come. Take ten minutes, fill one WOOP, and create three if-then cues for tonight. Then let tomorrow’s you inherit less resistance and more momentum.