Provided is a method for operating a system including components controllable by control variables, including the determining of at least one optimized control variable at an optimization period for minimizing or maximizing a target function of the system in such a way that at least one system variable fulfills predetermined secondary conditions with respect to the control period, wherein the determining includes the establishment of an evaluation function for each of the secondary conditions to evaluate a change of the system variable at the end of the optimization period based on a current value of the system variable at the beginning of the optimization period, based on a gradient of the system variable relating to the secondary condition and maximally achievable over the control period, and based on a gradient relating to the secondary condition and minimally achievable over the control period.