How we achieve our goals Each year on New Year’s Eve around 40% of Germans make plans to change something about their life in the next year. Among the top ten of good New Year’s resolutions for 2019 rank in addition to taking more exercise, taking more time for friends and family, eating healthier and drinking less alcohol. Nevertheless, two-thirds do not even persist to the end of January. Why is that? And which methods can we use to still implement our goals successfully? Even the way we formulate our intention affects the probability that we will finally put it into action. Thereby, specific, measurable goals (‘I want to lose 5 kg’) turned out in studies to be more successful than vague wishes where it remains unclear when they are achieved. (‘I want to become slim’). Furthermore, psychologists concluded that ambitious goals (e.g. 10 kg weight reduction) are rather successful than goals that are too slack (e.g. 2 kg weight reduction). The goal should be difficult, but not unattainable: apparently, higher demands motivate us more and lead to more effort.