One of the biggest mistakes we see people make is setting a well-intentioned, yet, very broad and either irrelevant or unattainable goal.

"Exercise more to lose weight" is a goal.. but not very SMART.

When you look at your goal, it should have meaning behind it…you should feel motivated, ready, and willing to make changes to go through with it.

Before you make your SMART goal, you should also know what your WHY is.

This is what makes your goal meaningful.

Why do you want to make this goal? What change or improvement will it bring to your life? How will attaining this goal be beneficial or helpful for you?

Whatever your WHY is should motivate and push you towards doing the steps to achieve your goal. If you feel like quitting, your why will be there, showing why you started and why you should keep going.

✨Be sure to download our FREE SMART goal worksheet and supporting planners to help you get started!

So, what is a SMART goal and how can you tailor to supporting you in your health and fitness?

Specific

Specific goals are clear and easy to understand. They are detailed and leave no room for interpretation.

Consider the previous example above “Exercise more to lose weight”.

What does this even mean? Really, anything. If you lifted weights for a few minutes and took the dog for an extra 10 minutes of walking one day, you could technically count that. But is it really going to make a difference? Maybe - but you won’t really know if you don’t get more specific on your goal.

Measurable

Similar and in line with being specific, you must be able to measure your goals to gauge success. Put a number to your measurement.

If we continue with the same example, “Exercise more to lose weight”, we can see that this is too vague.

Perhaps we can break it down to “I will lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks”. This is measurable.

Side note: Fitness trackers or a scale are helpful tools for tracking numbers. However, be cautious not to overuse or over-rely on trackers or the scale. They can give you a good idea of your progress but don’t consider other aspects of your life that effect your life (for example, the effect your cycle and hormones can have on you throughout the month, stresses from work or home, lack of sleep, nutritional deficiencies, water retention, etc). Working with a coach 1:1 to talk through the benefits and considerations of trackers and how to use them best may be helpful as you make your SMART goal.

Attainable

When you go to make the specific and measurable pieces of your goal, you have to consider if your goal is actually attainable for you.

There is nothing wrong with long-term goals or really big ones, and you should definitely write them down, but focusing on the small steps (looking at short time frames of weeks to a few months out) will be much more attainable and encouraging.

Attainable also means that you need to consider your current fitness level and lifestyle right now (not what you used to be able to do years ago or what you accomplished before you had kids).

Attainable goals should also push you, but not be so hard that you’ll feel discouraged and like a failure. You also should be aware of putting too much on your plate at once. Find your confidence and be honest with yourself with small steps along the way while adjusting and progressing as you go.

Relevant

Your goals should make sense based on what season of life you are in, your overall health, your nutritional and fitness needs, and your interests. This all matters.

For example, let’s say you have excess weight you want to lose after having your baby 3 months ago. You make a goal to run in a race 3 months from now. The problem is: you leak when you jump or sneeze, your core strength isn’t like it use to be, you aren’t sleeping well at night (newborn), your meals consist of leftover toddler lunches, and you actually don’t like running - but it seems like the easiest thing to get into.

All these factors need to be considered if you plan to be successful. It would be wise, instead, to focus more on the basics. If you don’t like running, make a goal instead of walking for 30 minutes 3x a week. Make separate goals to focus on your sleep and nutrition. See a pelvic floor therapist or postpartum fitness expert to address your pelvic floor issues, and eventually add in resistance training either on your own or in a laid-out and effective program.

Your wants and needs matter - make sure you set yourself up for success by doing things you love and make sense in the season you’re in.

Time-bound

When you consider your overall goal, you need to make sure you set a specific time frame in which you’ll achieve your goal. Breaking your goal down into small steps of a few weeks to up to 3 months out is usually a reasonable timeframe depending on what your goal is.

The point here is to not leave your goal open-ended. “I will lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks” gives you an end date and keeps you accountable to both start and complete your goal in a specific timeframe. Saying “I will lose 10 lbs” is too broad and doesn’t push you to start your goal, nor does it give you a sense of urgency to complete it.

Avoid disappointment and frustration with yourself by making your goal time-bound.

One more thing to consider…

SMART goals and writing out your WHY are both extremely helpful because they force you to think through your wants and desires, and brainstorm if what you are aiming for is actually relevant and attainable for your current situation and lifestyle. Your SMART goal doesn’t need to be perfect to get started - just start.

Last thing - we will often point out to moms who make SMART goals that flexibility is key. Giving yourself grace and being patient with yourself is also really important to your success.

As you make your goals, you have to consider everything in your life including aspects you can and can’t control. This why your WHY is so important. It will ground you back to WHY you started in the first place and why you want to accomplish this goal. Your SMART goal supports your WHY, but can be adjusted - because life doesn’t always go according to plan and that’s ok. Focus on your WHY, stay the course, adjust as needed, and you’ll get there!

What about you? Have you made some SMART goals lately?

If you need support in supporting your SMART goals, check out our FREE Roadmap to Success: Goal Setting & Planner worksheet. Be sure to check out the other free resources we have that may be helpful in supporting you in your goals.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!