The problem with ‘SMART’ fitness goals – The Globe and Mail

Have you ever set a fitness goal that looked perfect on paper and then felt like a punishment in practice?

The problem with ‘SMART’ fitness goals – The Globe and Mail

You’ve probably seen SMART goals framed as the golden rule of planning: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. It sounds tidy and rational, and you’re told that if you follow it, success is inevitable. But when you take that formula into the messy business of your body, your life, and your dignity, it often fractures. You deserve a way of setting goals that understands context, limits, emotion, and the ways systems shape what’s possible for you.

Why this matters to you

You carry a body that has history — trauma, illness, socioeconomic pressures, caregiving responsibilities, varying energy and motivation. When goal frameworks ignore any of that, they aren’t neutral; they’re prescriptive and sometimes cruel. You want outcomes that sustain you, not rules that shame you. This article will question the assumptions behind SMART goals, map out concrete problems you’ll likely encounter, and offer alternative frameworks and actionable strategies that fit your life better.

What SMART actually says

You should know what you’re disputing before you dismantle it. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Each word seems sensible: be clear, track progress, avoid unrealistic aims, make sure it matters, set a timeline. Those guidelines were useful in business contexts and project management, and they can work for simple tasks.

Why SMART caught on

SMART sells because it promises control. You like the idea of turning vague wishes — “get fit” — into a plan with steps and deadlines. It gives the illusion of certainty: if you measure and plan, you will get the result. That promise is intoxicating, especially when you’ve been told that discipline is the answer to every problem.

The limits of SMART when applied to fitness

SMART simplifies complexity. Fitness isn’t a project you can always schedule, quantify, or tame. You face variability in mood, energy, access, and biology. SMART often flattens these nuances into targets and timelines that can feed shame when they’re not met.

Specific can mean brittle

Specificity makes goals easy to follow, but it also narrows your options. If your goal is “run 5 km three times a week,” you might ignore other beneficial activity when life gets chaotic. Specific goals can box you into a binary of success/failure, which is a poor fit for the reality of living.

Measurable privileges numbers over experience

Metrics are seductive: weight, time, reps, steps. Yet numbers don’t capture improvements in mood, function, stamina on bad days, or the quiet resilience of showing up despite fatigue. When you tie worth to metrics, you risk defining your identity by fluctuating digits.

Achievable becomes an argument about deserving

Achievability is context-dependent. What’s achievable for someone with flexible work hours, childcare, and funds for private training is not the same for someone juggling shifts, limited childcare, and transportation constraints. “Achievable” sometimes masks privilege and becomes a moral judgment on whether you deserve the goal.

Relevant can be nebulous and moralizing

Relevance is about meaning. But who decides what’s relevant? Social pressure, medical advice, advertising, and internalized norms all shape what you label “relevant.” You can end up pursuing goals that align with external standards more than your own values.

Time-bound fuels urgency and failure

Deadlines can motivate, but they also create environments where setbacks become catastrophes. Injury, illness, family emergencies, and mental health fluctuations aren’t failures in the moral sense; they are part of life. A time-bound mindset often uses the language of “slippage” and “falling behind,” which amplifies shame.

How SMART can harm different people

SMART’s harms aren’t evenly distributed. Social determinants — race, class, gender, disability, caregiving, geography — shape who can realistically meet those “achievable” standards. The framework was not designed for bodies that resist neat timelines or for communities that must prioritize survival over training plans.

For people with chronic illness and disabilities

You confront variability and unpredictability that metrics can’t predict. Pushing to meet rigid targets increases the risk of setbacks, pacing violations, and burnout. A SMART goal that ignores energy envelopes or post-exertional malaise is not just ineffective; it’s harmful.

For caregivers and people with low socioeconomic resources

You have constraints on time, money, and space. A toolbox built for full-time availability fails you. SMART can become a reminder of all the things you can’t control and can erode motivation rather than build it.

For those recovering from disordered eating or image-based shame

When goals are measured by weight or body composition, SMART becomes a mechanism for obsessive behaviors. Measurable targets can intensify focus on numbers rather than nourishment, health, or sustainable relationship with movement.

Why numbers lie (or don’t tell the whole story)

Your scale, your watch, your app — they all tell a piece of the truth but not the whole truth. Fitness is subjective and contextual. Numbers can motivate short-term action but often misrepresent long-term health and well-being.

What metrics do well

Metrics can quantify progress, provide accountability, and reveal trends you might miss. They’re useful when used as tools rather than verdicts. They help you make decisions when you’re consistent in how you collect data.

What metrics miss

They don’t tell you how movement affects your mental clarity, your ability to play with your kids, or your sense of agency. Metrics ignore the quality of rest, social connection, and joy. They also ignore systemic barriers that alter what’s possible, like access to safe spaces to exercise.

Psychological dynamics SMART can trigger

You need to understand how goal structures affect your motivation, identity, and self-talk. SMART can unintentionally activate perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking, and shame — all of which sabotage the very behaviors it’s supposed to support.

All-or-nothing thinking and the “failure cascade”

If your plan is rigid and you miss one session, the mental story you tell yourself can be catastrophic: “I failed, so I might as well quit.” That cascade is a predictable result of strict time-based goals tied to identity.

Perfectionism and over-optimization

Strict adherence to “achievable” and “specific” can cultivate a performance mindset where you measure worth by efficiency. This kills experimentation and curiosity, which are essential to long-term sustainable behavior change.

Shame and moralization of effort

When success is framed as a product of willpower, any slip becomes evidence of moral failure. This is especially pernicious for people who are already marginalized and told that discipline is the proof of worth.

Alternatives to SMART that respect complexity

You don’t need to throw everything away, but you do need frameworks that consider your context and values. Below are models that reorient goals toward process, values, and sustainability.

Value-based goals

Value-based goals start with what matters to you instead of what looks impressive. Instead of “run a 10K in three months,” a value-based goal might be “maintain mobility and energy so you can play with your children and enjoy weekend hikes.” This anchors you in meaning, not performance.

Process-focused goals

Process goals are about what you will do consistently, not a fixed outcome. For example, commit to movement 15 minutes a day, prioritizing variety. You focus on behaviors you can control, which reduces shame and increases agency.

Identity-based goals

Identity-based goals ask: who do you want to be? Instead of “lose 10 pounds,” you aim to “be someone who moves regularly and values nourishment.” You build an identity that makes the behaviors part of who you are.

Flexible, tiered goals

Create primary goals that are non-negotiable (movement, rest, nutrition basics) and secondary goals that are aspirational (training benchmarks). This tiered approach protects you when life gets intense.

Practical, actionable strategies you can use

You need strategies that are practical and compassionate. These are concrete practices that honor your limits and help you progress.

Start with questions, not answers

Ask yourself: Why is this goal important to me? What would success feel like? What barriers do I anticipate? These questions anchor goals in meaning and reality. They help you plan around your life instead of against it.

Use a “core habit” approach

Identify 1–3 core habits that will move you forward. Keep them small and sustainable: three 10-minute sessions of movement per week, three meals including protein and vegetables, or seven hours of sleep three nights a week. Core habits are easier to protect and build.

Implement “if/then” planning (implementation intentions)

Plan for obstacles: “If my babysitter cancels, then I will do a 15-minute bodyweight session at home.” These small contingencies prevent the collapse of your plan when life intervenes.

Track in multiple dimensions

Use both quantitative and qualitative tracking. Combine a simple metric (minutes moved weekly) with reflective notes about mood, pain, sleep, and energy. This mixed method gives you a richer narrative of progress.

Prioritize recovery and pacing

If you have fluctuating energy or chronic conditions, design plans around pacing. Progress might look like fewer flare-ups, improved function, or increased stable days rather than linear performance improvements.

Create environmental scaffolding

Design your environment to support your habits: place workout clothes where you will see them, keep healthy snacks accessible, or schedule movement with a friend. Small changes reduce friction.

Build in accountability that’s compassionate

Accountability should not be punishment. Use supportive friends, coaches who understand your context, or groups that emphasize sustainability rather than numbers. Accountability can remind you of your values instead of reinforcing shame.

A table: SMART vs. alternatives

This table gives you a quick comparison so you can see how different elements translate into action.

Sample goal transformations you can actually live with

You might like concrete examples. Below are ways to rephrase common SMART-style goals into something more humane and sustainable.

How to build a goal plan that respects your life

You need a simple method to design goals that are realistic and motivating. This is a step-by-step approach you can apply today.

Step 1: Identify your why

Write 1–3 sentences about why this matters. If you can’t connect the goal to your life, it will be shallow and easy to abandon.

Step 2: Choose 1–3 core habits

Pick small behaviors that, if habitual, would produce the change you want. Keep them manageable and specific in action (not outcome).

Step 3: Set flexible metrics

Select a primary metric that’s easy to track (minutes of movement, number of nourishing meals) and a secondary qualitative check (mood, energy, mobility).

Step 4: Build contingencies

List likely disruptions and your “if/then” responses. This makes your plan resilient.

Step 5: Schedule reflection time

Once a week, spend 10 minutes reviewing the data and asking what worked, what didn’t, and what you can adjust. Reflection is how you learn.

Step 6: Celebrate non-numeric wins

Recognize progress in how you feel, your consistency, or your ability to adapt. Celebrating process strengthens identity and motivation.

Common objections and honest responses

You’re going to have reasons SMART feels right: clarity, accountability, results. These are valid. But you also face real-life constraints.

“But I need a number to aim for.”

You can have both. Use numbers as signposts, not as the only measure. A goal can be “increase weekly movement by 20%” and also “notice fewer tense neck days.”

“If I don’t set deadlines, I’ll procrastinate.”

Try short, flexible deadlines — weekly sprints rather than rigid long-term timelines. Deadlines motivate without becoming existential judgments.

“Process goals feel fuzzy.”

Anchor them with concrete actions: “walk 20 minutes after lunch” is a process goal that’s specific and actionable. Avoid vague language but keep the emphasis on behaviors.

How to talk to coaches, trainers, or doctors about goals

You deserve professionals who understand the whole of you. Here’s how to steer conversations so your context is respected.

Bring context to the appointment

Tell them about caregiving, work schedule, finances, chronic symptoms, and mental health. If you don’t, they’ll default to idealized plans.

Ask for multiple pathways

Request options that consider different intensities and environments. Good professionals will adapt and give you tiered plans.

Emphasize sustainability over speed

Ask: “How will this fit into my life in 6 months?” A plan that emphasizes long-term integration is more useful than quick fixes.

When to reframe your goals

Life changes. Your goals should too. Knowing when to pivot is not surrender; it’s wisdom.

Signs you should reframe

• You’re regularly sacrificing sleep, relationships, or mental health to meet a target.
• Your goals increase anxiety and decrease joy in movement.
• You experience recurrent injury or worsening symptoms.
• You’re ignoring other priorities that are essential to your life.

In these cases, you should scale back, change the metric, or shift the goal toward function and pleasure.

A compassionate final word for your practice

You deserve goals that make your life better, not smaller. Fitness should add to your sense of agency, not subtract from it. When goals are human-centered — responsive to your limits, values, and context — they don’t demand perfection; they ask for presence, curiosity, and care.

A practical wrap-up

• Start with meaning before method.
• Choose small, process-oriented habits first.
• Use metrics as tools, not identities.
• Build contingency plans and honor rest.
• Reframe goals when they cause harm.

If you follow a path like this, you’ll likely find that movement becomes less about punishment and more about participation in your own life. That shift is not trivial. It’s radical in a culture that constantly ties worth to output. You don’t have to live by a formula that flattens your experience. Aim for plans that make room for you.

Resources and a brief reading list

You might want to read more about habit formation, pacing with chronic illness, and value-based behavior change. Here are a few directions you can follow for deeper knowledge.

• Books on habit and behavior change that favor process over outcome.
• Disability justice and chronic illness blogs that center pacing and energy management.
• Articles on health equity and how social determinants shape the ability to meet fitness goals.

These resources will help you build more compassionate and realistic practices. You owe yourself that much.

Closing prompt for your next steps

Ask yourself one honest question right now: What is one tiny change you can make this week that would be kinder to your future self? Then commit to it, protect it, and note what happens. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be human.

Source: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxQMWlRQVlRUVhpQ0RVMW5PRWZxaklUTU0tMXNMcHNLNEgyT3dERzNqSXdxXzRxdEY2dlF2SFVWOUpwcjhFUW5Rb3VUZjUwMzhyRkhFU3BYRmpqWVFLcXhPUGNQM1FVdkdONjNWWlRxYmo1d1dpZk5uWkJLRVZNSHRNRXdma2toT1p2U3l0eXRFUWozY0dqcmtXLVFXOEV4TXRn?oc=5