Mastering SMART Goals: Your Guide to Achieving Success

Feel like you’re constantly trying to change your habits but somehow, they never last? Maybe you’ve started a few new fitness plans and felt great, only to end up right back where you started a few weeks later. You’ve watched dozens of productivity and motivational videos on YouTube and know what it takes, so why isn’t it working? 

If your attempts for change aren’t working, it’s not you — it’s the goal. Sometimes, we set seemingly realistic goals but once we get into the plan of action, we realize it’s not as easy as we thought. Then, we beat ourselves up thinking we’re just “lazy” and that we’ll “never” get it together. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

With the right formula, you can set goals that you can follow through on. SMART goals aren’t just another habit best-seller that gets you nowhere. Read on to learn the framework that can set you up for personal, professional, and fitness success (maybe just don’t start on all three at once). 

Breaking down a truly SMART goal

Goals are usually these lofty ideas we have in our heads that never get put into action. Why? They don’t come with a game plan. SMART goals, however, follow a very specific guideline for getting you to follow through. Here’s what it takes to make a goal work:

• Specific: Vague goals (like “getting healthier”) just don’t work. Our brains need something incredibly specific to focus on. Otherwise, we don’t know (and can’t follow through on) the action it will take to get there. Compare “eating better” to “I’m going to include one serving of vegetables with every dinner this week”. Which one sounds doable?

• Measurable: If you can’t track it, how will you know it’s working? You need data that tells you what’s working and what isn’t so that you can edit your goals as the obstacles pop up (because they will). No goal comes without roadblocks, not even the simple ones. The better you understand what gets in your way or why something isn’t working, the easier it will be to shift your plan of action (versus just believing that you’re a “failure” and giving up). 

• Achievable: If your goal isn’t practical, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. We tend to fantasize about the final destination instead of all the daily actionable steps it takes to get there. You can keep that big goal in mind, but be sure to break it down into the simplest first step you can realistically put into action. 

• Relevant: If the goal isn’t aligned with what you truly want, what’s the point? You’ll always find a way to get around it if internally, you don’t actually care. That’s why goals are more likely to succeed if they come from a place of internal motivation versus external. Like, “I want to exercise for 30 minutes every M-W-F so I can be strong enough to play with my kids on the weekend” versus “I want to work out more so I can fit into a bikini this summer (and post it on social media)”. 

• Time-bound: A goal without a deadline is just a dream. We thrive on deadlines and become listless and lazy when tasks are open-ended. Take advantage of your human nature and give yourself realistic deadlines that hold you accountable. For example, if you tell your colleagues you want to run a half marathon by the summer, the next step is creating a SMART plan to reach that big end goal — and making sure running a half-marathon is a realistic target for you.  

Benefits of SMART goals: It reaches farther than you think

Motivation is overrated. It simply doesn’t last (which is part of why your goals don’t last). Here’s what a SMART goal can give you:  

• Focus: Remember scrolling through socials for hours only to end up feeling like you did nothing with your day? That’s what life is like without clear and actionable goals. We end up flailing through our days, hopping from one distraction to another. An action plan cuts through distractions and gives your brain something truly concrete and doable to focus on. A SMART goal can give you the ability to leave your phone in the bedroom and roll out the exercise mat to start stretching. 

• Efficiency: With a giant task, like a work project with a looming deadline, we’re often left feeling overwhelmed. With SMART goals, we learn to break things down into smaller tasks and allocate time for each. It whisks away the procrastination paralysis and puts us into action. 

• Prioritization: If you usually feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions, a SMART goal is for you. For example, if you want to buy a house but can’t seem to save, a SMART goal can get you to prioritize creating a savings plan that works. 

• Confidence: You know that amazing feeling you get every time you accomplish something hard? It adds up to something called self-efficacy — your belief that you can do things. The more you achieve, no matter how small, the more you build up that sense of confidence in your ability to move forward, no matter how hard life gets. 

What we usually get wrong: How to set a real SMART goal

Sometimes, the goals we set are all wrong. What does it mean to set a truly SMART goal that will actually work? 

1. Look for internal inspiration

Forget about all the unmet goals of your past before reviving them right now. Before anything else, you need to find out what it is you truly want. Sometimes we have wonderful goals that, unfortunately, aren’t even our own. Maybe they come from society or family pressure, or what an old version of you once wanted that doesn’t fit anymore. If society, family, or “old you” truly didn’t care, would you still want it? 

2. Break it down

We usually get enamored with our big “end goal” and forget to look at the very first step it takes to move towards it. So, while your end goal might be “getting fit”, how are you going to achieve that? Go backward and look at what the smallest thing you can do is to start. That might be “I’ll walk for ten minutes at every lunch break” or “I’ll do a 5-minute workout before breakfast every day”. If the goal isn’t actually practical (or interesting to you), it won’t happen. Keep making it simpler (and more fun) until it feels really doable — so easy it’s almost ridiculous not to do it (if you find that, you’ve found your first step). 

3. Set a (very) realistic deadline

All of us need deadlines to get things done. There is a science to making a deadline work, though. First, it has to be realistic. Rushing yourself to do too much too soon might just lead to overwhelm and giving up. Second, it needs to be concrete. Aiming to do something versus scheduling exactly how and when to do the daily action is very different. Look at your daily deadlines and see what’s realistic. 

4. Expect failure and adjust

There are always obstacles in our way, that’s just part of life. The setbacks and failures can either make us turn around and go home or take the detour. Which option do you want to choose? If one path isn’t working, you can try another, and then another, and then another. The only failure is to stop trying. Remember, if the goal isn’t working, it probably means you need to change your plan of action and edit the daily goals. Expect it to not work and that you will have to edit, replan, and change again — constantly. 

Struggling to follow through on your goals? Fear is one of the biggest blockers to change—but it doesn’t have to be. Download our free guide to overcoming the fear of getting started and finally take action on the goals that matter to you.

Real-life examples of SMART Goals

The SMART goal framework gives you a practical way to work on any area of your life. Here are some examples of how it can play out: 

Career

You’re feeling stuck at work and you’re ready to find something new. Only, you’ve been ready for a (long) while. What’s stopping you from applying and looking elsewhere?

SMART goal: I will spend 30 minutes researching interesting jobs this Friday at 1:30 pm right after I finish lunch, and write down what courses or certifications I might need, if any.  

Health and fitness

Maybe your mental health is struggling. You know that working out gives your brain endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine — a mix of “feel good” vibes that leave you feeling better all day. Whether it’s cardio or strength training, you get a mood boost that reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. But how to get started? 

SMART goal: I will do a 10-minute walk every day after lunch (or dinner, or before breakfast, whatever works). 

Personal development

If you’re finding yourself extra cranky and irritable at work lately, you might want to work on your stress management (or potentially also find new work). 

SMART goal: I will set an alarm to give myself a 10-minute break every day this week. I will shut off all alerts and rest with my eyes closed to relaxing music or head out for a walk. 

Finances

We’ve all been fed the story that one of life’s biggest goals is to buy a home. Maybe that’s not your story, but if it is, you’ll need to start saving. 

SMART goal: I will track my spending for one week on an app and after the week ends, make a list of what seems unnecessary. After my observation week ends, I will set up an automatic transfer of (set an amount) to my savings account. I will review quarterly and align my savings with my end goal of ($$$) in one year. 

Extra Tips to actually achieve your SMART goal

Besides following the SMART goal framework, these are some ways you can make your goal more likely to succeed: 

• Use accountability: Take advantage of human nature and use accountability. Research shows that people who regularly check in with an accountability partner, publicly commit to their goals, and write them down are more likely to achieve their goals. Knowing someone else is watching you can create a sense of obligation, which can help with procrastination. 

• Track progress regularly: Science shows that tracking our progress makes us not only recognize our wins (which increases our self-efficacy and confidence) but also makes us more likely to follow through. Why? Tracking keeps your eye on the prize. It also gives you the data you need to edit your goals if something isn’t working. Try journaling, habit-tracking apps, and trainwell’s tracking to see your progress. 

• Set up automatic rewards: Condition your brain to enjoy the process so that you’re more likely to follow through. For instance, creating an automatic reward when completing your daily tasks. Just think of a “runner’s high” — runners get a reward during and after finishing their run, making them want to run regularly. How can you recreate that for your daily tasks? It could be a hot relaxing shower after a workout or a mindful break with a cup of coffee or tea after you write your pages. Crease a sensory experience that your brain will crave so you’ll actually want to do the tasks that will help you reach your end goal. 

Check out this article with psychology-backed tips on why goals don’t work (and how to find fun ones you can follow through on). 

Additionally, having the right support and tracking your progress can make all the difference. A personal trainer can help keep you accountable, track your progress, and adjust your plan when needed—so you actually reach your goals.

How trainwell makes you SMART

Setting goals is one thing, and achieving them is another. Life gets hard, we get busy, and somehow, our goals become memories instead of action plans. That’s why it’s so important to have support. Research shows over and over again how much it helps us feel better emotionally and achieve our goals. 

With trainwell, you get a certified trainer ready to make a plan with you. They create a workout you love and keep you consistent through accountability and support. So when life gets hard, you still have something holding you to the ground, keeping you stable. 

Plus, you can automatically track how you’re doing with our app’s Apple Watch integration. Those wins get easier to celebrate when you see them in black and white. 

Ready to try a new way to “get fit” and start brimming with self-confidence by achieving your goals? Try our free 14-day trial and choose a trainer that fits your unique personality and style. 

Written by Jennifer Olejarz.