Okay, so it's all well and good making these resolutions, but even with the power of science at your back, that road to hell is still paved with good intentions. So, even if you feel like you're absolutely set on losing a stone/learning Swedish/kicking the cigarettes, there are a couple of extra techniques to ensure your enthusiasm doesn't slide off by February. First of all, be specific. It's difficult for the brain to stay focussed on something as fuzzy as "exercise more" so, instead, consider "Run a 10k in July". This quantifiable goal makes it harder for you to redefine exactly what constitutes "more exercise". Speaking of goals, make it realistic. If anything, making it too easy. If your goal is to run a marathon after a life of couch-potatoing, you're probably going to give up. If you set your sights on a 5k, chances are you'll be able to do it and, what's more, by the time you reach that point, you'll have built up some good, marathon-running habits. Much of the advice surrounding goals will advise you to tell all your friends about it so that they will be able to hold you to account. However, its has been shown that if you start shooting your mouth off about your intentions to learn French then your brain gets the little "smug tingles" before you've even done anything. This actually makes you less likely to try and achieve your goals as you can get the same psychological reward by just talking about it (which is much easier). If all else fails, just hit play on the video above for 10 hours of Shia LeBeouf telling you to Just Do It. It's magical stuff. Want to write for What Culture Science? Click here to find out how you could get paid to write about what you love.If you love science as much as we do, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more.