Whether you want to lose weight, improve your fitness level, or train for an event, setting SMART goals can help you achieve what you want to do

Goal setting is a great way to visualize and head towards the path to complete certain inspirations, but do you actually know how to set fitness goals? Think about it ⎼ When’s the last time you achieved a fitness goal you set? When’s the last time you actually set a fitness goal? 

Having a solid fitness goal is an amazing way to power you towards success, but not all #goals are the same. While it is important to have an achievable goal in mind like ⎼ losing 10lbs, lifting 20lbs, or running a 5k ⎼ there are some best practices when it comes to goal setting. 

Whether you want to lose weight, improve your fitness level, or train for an event, setting SMART goals can help you achieve what you want to do. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely—all of which are important in reaching a fitness goal. SMART goals can help keep you on track and remind you of your priorities, so you’re able to follow through with every workout or healthy meal you have planned.

Get SMART and put these five best practices into place when you’re planning to set another fitness goal!

SMART Goals

1. Specific

Be specific, not too arbitrary by saying “I want to get healthy”. How do you want to get healthy? A specific goal would be to lose weight, run for 30 minutes without stopping, or make it to the gym 3 times a week. You’ll be able to narrow down your goal even further throughout the rest of this method, but whether you want to get stronger, faster, or smaller — having a baseline points you in the right direction.

2. Measurable

Here is where you’ll be able to measure your goal. Your goal needs to be quantifiable, meaning you need to be able to track, assess, and evaluate your progress. A measurable goal would be, let’s use our previous example, “to lose 10 pounds”. You can quantify your progress by checking your weight periodically, and now you’re able to put a timeline to your goals.  Your goal may be to master a pull-up, run five miles, or go to the gym three days a week—whatever it is, you should have a definite way of knowing when you’ve reached your goal.

3. Attainable

While it’s great to set big picture goals like completing an Ironman, in the long term (which is insane and I love it!), you need a more achievable goal that you can attain. You’re gonna want to start small and set yourself up for success with early wins, which encourages long-term consistency^[1]. If you create a goal that is too substantial right from the start, you might become discouraged when you don’t reach your goal as fast as you had hoped for. 

4. Relevant

This is the “WHY” of goal-setting. WHY are you setting a goal in the first place? Finding your WHY is easier said than done. Relevancy in goal-setting is the thing that is going to give you that extra boost of encouragement when you feel like giving up. Find something that you are motivated to achieve. Saying “I want to run a 5k in three months” brings some relevance to your goal. Whether you want to perform better at everyday activities or feel more confident for a big event coming up, finding your WHY will help you avoid being discouraged and help you achieve your goals! 

5. Timely 

SET A DEADLINE! ⎼ Creating a strict deadline creates urgency to your goal. It’s also important not to set your sights too far in advance. If you give yourself four months to lose 10 pounds, that deadline will be too long because you aren’t incentivized to start working at it immediately. Instead, consider setting smaller goals along the way, like “I want to lose three pounds in two weeks.” Maybe running a marathon is your long-term goal, but if you’ve never been a runner, signing up for one that’s a month away isn’t realistic—instead, set smaller mileage goals for shorter time periods and work your way up.

You should be honest with yourself. Be honest about what you’re able to accomplish in a given time frame. If losing 10 pounds is at the top of your list and you’re willing to make sacrifices in your social life and at work, we can attain that more quickly. And if not? That’s completely fine, too—you just need to adjust your expectations so they’re in line with your schedule and commitments. 

Follow Through

Now that you know how to set SMART goals, it’s time to take action! As you plan your goals, write them down in your notes app or in your journal — Write down your reasons for picking your goal, how important that goal is to you, and the specific details of how you’re going to reach your goal and most importantly — follow through. You made a goal and now you know how you’re going to get there. If you struggle with accountability (like me), post your goal on social media or tell your coworkers about your goal. This will hold yourself accountable to it. 

SMART goals are a great way to establish a basis and a plan to achieve goals that you thought were either too difficult before or unrealistic. With any goal it’s important to keep track of your progress, I use the Trainerize app, but you can use whatever works for you! 

It may seem like a lot of work that goes into setting and working towards a goal, but once you’ve done it one time and achieved your goal, the next goal just becomes that much easier!  

Sources: 

1.  Strecher VJ, Seijts GH, Kok GJ, Latham GP, Glasgow R, DeVellis B, Meertens RM, Bulger DW. Goal setting as a strategy for health behavior change. Health Educ Q. 1995 May;22(2):190-200. doi: 10.1177/109019819502200207.