How To Set Better Goals Using the SMART Method – FIT by Katy

Jan 21, 2021

Are you a person who sets a goal for themselves, but never manages to meet it? If you answered yes—you’re not alone. By setting SMART goals, you can focus on what you genuinely want and break that down in order to meet your goals, small or large! SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely—all of which can help speed you along your fitness path! SMART goals require you to focus and use your time wisely, so that every workout and meal become important building blocks on the road to success.

COACH RACHEL’S SMART GOAL

Let’s take a look at how these 5 elements can improve your fitness goals, and see how Coach Rachel’s SMART goal stacks up!

SPECIFIC

Don’t go into the process with a goal that’s too broad or arbitrary. “Getting healthy” is an example of a goal that’s simply too broad, while “Achieve a lower resting heart rate” is an example of a specific goal. Goals that are specific have a significantly greater chance of being accomplished!

Rachel’s goal is specific because she states what she currently performs and exactly what she’s trying to achieve - hip thrusting 285lbs for 5 reps.

MEASURABLE

This is the stage where you measure your progress toward your goal. However you measure progress, you need a way of knowing when you’ve achieved your goal.

Rachel’s goal is measurable because she is able to log the weight lifted and track how much further there is to go for her specific goal.

ATTAINABLE

The perfect goal stretches your abilities without becoming unachievable. Big-picture goals are wonderful for the long-term, but having smaller milestones along the way will help keep you on track.

Rachel’s goal is attainable because she knows her limits and her goal is in reach - an additional 20lbs from what she currently performs is challenging, but undoubtedly possible.

RELEVANT

In fitness, you’ll often hear people talking about their “why.” This is the reason they keep pursuing fitness goals, even when they feel demotivated or frustrated. Only you can determine whether your goals are worthwhile, but attaching a powerful “why” to them will help keep them relevant in your life.

Rachel’s goal is relevant because it will show her progressive strength gains in the gym, and pushes her to another one of her goals, attaining more glute muscle.

TIMELY

In order to be truly powerful, SMART goals have strict deadlines, creating a sense of urgency and keeping your fitness top of mind. Time-bound goals can often answer questions like “What can I do today?” “What can I do in six weeks, or six months?”

Rachel’s goal is timely because she gives herself a deadline—June 2021. She gives herself 6 months to focus on fueling her body properly and to push herself to perform the heaviest weight possible each session to reach this goal.

READY TO GET SMART?

Now that you know what goes into a SMART goal, it’s important that you be honest with yourself about your limitations in order to get started. If you know that you only have 30 minutes a day to commit to your workouts, don’t plan hour-long gym sessions that you can’t ever stick to. Keep your expectations in line with your abilities, schedule, and other commitments in order to help with follow-through. Incorporating rewards as you complete your SMART goal is a great way to stay motivated through each step of the process and to celebrate your small wins!

If you’ve struggled with follow-through before, FIT by Katy may be the accountability partner you need. The #FBKFitFam is here to help with resources to keep you motivated, challenges to keep you excited, and so much more.