As we get into the full swing of fall, it can be a great time to start thinking about new goals for the rest of the year. Maybe you want to get stronger, pass a fitness assessment, lose weight or body fat, improve your conditioning, move better, or simply be more consistent in the gym.
At Rise, we want all of our members to have goals. They give us something to work towards and play a big role in helping us stay motivated throughout the year. However, sometimes goals can be too broad, unrealistic, or hard to measure. This can make it difficult to track or see if we are actually making progress towards our goals. One way we can prevent this is through the use of SMART goals.
SMART is an acronym that stands for:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Relevant
T - Time-bound
These five categories can turn a general, broad goal into something that is realistic, clear, and practical.
What Does a SMART Goal Look Like?
Let’s say someone has a goal to get stronger. That’s a great goal, but it’s fairly broad; perhaps too broad to be able to measure success in regards to the goal. This is how the SMART framework can come into play.
Specific:
Instead of simply saying, “I want to get stronger,” let’s make it more specific.
“I want to increase my dumbbell bench press.”
Now we know exactly what we are aiming to improve.
Measurable:
Now, we need a way to track our progress.
“I want to increase my dumbbell bench press from 30lb dumbbells for 8 reps to 40lb dumbbells for 8 reps.”
Now we have a way to measure our progress.
Achievable:
Goals should challenge us in a realistic way. If someone is benching 30lb dumbbells and states that they want to jump to 60lb dumbbells in a month, that isn’t very realistic. However, increasing from 30lbs to 40lbs gives a more attainable goal that is still challenging.
Relevant:
This is another part of the goal progress that people easily miss. If improving your upper-body strength is something that is important to you, then increasing your dumbbell bench press is a relevant goal. It is something that is meaningful to you, which is the perfect goal to work towards rather than just chasing a number for the sake of the number.
Time-Bound:
Finally, give yourself a deadline.
Now we have our complete SMART goal: “I want to increase my dumbbell bench press from 30lbs for 8 reps to 40lbs for 8 reps by the end of the year.”
Why SMART Goals Matter
The main benefit of a SMART goal is that it gives you direction and a clear action plan. It allows for you to work towards your goal, while also being able to see the progress you’ve made along the way.
Not only that, but it also allows for you to adjust. Maybe you achieve your goal earlier than expected, or discover that your goal was more challenging than you anticipated. SMART goals allow for you to evaluate where you are and determine what comes next.
Finally, SMART goals can be used for almost anything. They don’t need to be only for your goals at Rise. So, as we head into the fall season, take some time to think about your goals. Go through the SMART goal formula, and start creating an action plan with a clear path to achieving it.