Stop Overwhelming Yourself
Why SMART Goals Matter
You’re overwhelming yourself with giant goals. You wonder why you can never achieve them. Whether it's losing weight, gaining muscle, getting a promotion at work, making more money, etc. The truth is: those goals are too broad.
They can absolutely be your end goal. But most of us aren’t fully committed to them because they feel so big and unclear. That’s when failure creeps in and we start the cycle of:
“I can never get anything done.”
“I can’t focus.”
“Maybe I’m just not disciplined enough.”
Then, instead of acting, we burn energy coming up with excuses for why we think we aren’t achieving our goals. The problem isn’t that you don’t care, it’s that you’re not breaking your goals into actionable steps.
Back in college, I lived by SMART goals, and it still works today (however, personally I need to reimplement them back into my life).
What’s a SMART Goal?
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time-bound
Here is my personal SMART goal:
Overall goal: Lose 10 lbs.
S – Specific: I want to lose 10 lbs (around 7.5% body fat). My plan is to lose about 1 lb per week by attending group classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and working out with my sister on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. Saturday will be my rest day.
M – Measurable: I’ll consume 1,500 calories a day, focusing on 130g protein and 35g fiber. I’ll track everything in MyFitnessPal (Also, no Cooper’s Hawk food).
A – Achievable: This works because I’ve set realistic, specific targets for nutrition and exercise. I even built in some buffer time for the holidays.
R – Relevant: This goal is relevant and matters to me because I want to embody what I preach as a personal trainer and coach. I want to be healthier, build self-discipline, set myself up for long-term success, and be more confident in my coaching, and in my appearance.
T – Time-bound: Deadline: December 1st.
Tips to Overcome Anxiety & Fear of Failure
Big goals feel scary, but breaking them down makes them manageable. Start small:
Running a marathon? Don’t jump from a 5k to 26.2 miles. Start by running consistently, 3 times a week, and build from there.
Want to lose 50 lbs? Focus first on consistency: workout 3x a week and hit 7-10k steps daily.
Rehabbing a shoulder injury? Commit to your rehab exercises 2–3 times a week before worrying about anything else.
Want to gain muscle? First focus on weight training: weight lift 2-3x a week and try to add one more protein source in your day.
No olympian, pro-athlete, body builder, powerlifter, ultra marathon racer, etc. just happened across their winnings. Obviously I am no pro level athlete, but the same concept applies. Don’t overwhelm yourself by not setting achievable goals.
My Personal Struggle (and Probably Yours Too)
I’ve been guilty of setting big, vague goals without a plan. And guess what? It never works. Without a SMART goal, you get overwhelmed, fall short, and end up back at square one, or worse. Your confidence takes a hit. You stop trusting yourself. You feel like a failure.
But when you make a plan, you start building that trust back. You prove to yourself that you follow through. And that’s powerful.
Bailey’s tip: tell someone your plan. Share it with a friend, family member, or coach. They can check in on you and hold you accountable. Just remember, it’s not their job to carry you to the finish line. This is your responsibility, but someone can cheer you along the way.
Ready to Set a SMART Goal?
If you’re stuck or unsure where to start, schedule a goal review with one of us coaches. We’ll help you build a realistic plan so you can finally stop spinning your wheels and start seeing progress. Plus, now you will have told someone your goal and we as coaches have to LEGALLY hold you accountable LOL.
We love you, and we want to see you succeed!
-Coach Bailey