Goal Setting and New Year's Resolutions

It's the same every year: We set ourselves New Year's goals that are forgotten again by February at the latest. Be it drinking less alcohol or not drinking at all, for example during Dry January, eating more healthily or becoming more effective: the list of the new ones goals is long!

So that these projects are not doomed to failure, we will show you two approaches today: First, we will present you with the most important content and tips of the successful bestseller "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" ( in German: the 7 habits of highly effective people) and then explain the classic SMART method to you.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

An important point is: sharpen the saw. This means not working yourself to death, but aiming for a sustainable lifestyle that gives you time to recover, recharge, and be effective over the long term. Take your breaks when you need them. It's going to be worth it!

Be proactive! If you feel the need to influence your environment and make a change, don't just spend your time reacting to external influences. Take your life into your own hands and take responsibility. In the current situation, of course, this is not always possible. But don't let that get you down. Better times will come!

It's also important to start with a goal in mind. Think about what your vision for the future is and align your actions accordingly so that your goals become reality. Priorities are the be-all and end-all. Put the most important things first and focus on what is most relevant. If you have multiple New Year's resolutions, rank them. What would you like to achieve first? In January you live alcohol-free for a month and after that you can try a new language.

In a group, the contributions of many outweigh the achievement of one. You should therefore use these synergy effects. You will quickly find that you can achieve goals faster and easier that you might not have been able to achieve on your own. It's easier together. So team up with someone to learn a new instrument or language, or go alcohol-free.

The SMART method

The SMART method is about formulating your goals in a more mature way and thereby achieving them better. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attractive, Realistic and Terminated.

You should therefore formulate your goals as concretely and specifically as possible and set a measurable goal. Only if the goal is formulated attractively will you muster the necessary motivation. Setting attractive goals means that they are formulated positively.

It is important that you set yourself realistic goals that are achievable within your time and resources. They should challenge you, but not be utopian! Finally, every goal needs a deadline by which it is to be achieved. The deadline is the goal, but also a checkpoint to find out whether you have implemented everything you have planned.

As a small example: You have decided to drink less or no alcohol at all. Using the SMART method, your objective could be:

I will try to stay alcohol free throughout Dry January by trying two new non-alcoholic drinks every weekend.

Alcohol free as a New Year's resolution?

There are numerous reasons to live alcohol-free - whether for a few months or a whole year.You have decided to drink less alcohol in the new year or to keep your hands off it completely? Then you get here your bottle of Laori Juniper No 1, with which you can easily mix your favorite drinks yourself