Finding the right fitness goals can change everything.

Not just how you train, but how long you stick with it, how you feel doing it, and whether it actually fits your life.

Most people jump into fitness with a vague idea of what to do. But if your goal isn’t personal and meaningful to you, it won’t stick.

This isn’t a generic list of fitness goals. Instead, it’s about finding your own goals that match your values, lifestyle, and the future you want to build.

Common Fitness Goal Traps

First, knowing the common traps in the fitness world helps you avoid them and understand why they rarely lead to lasting results.

Most goals don’t fail because you weren’t disciplined enough; they fail because they weren’t built for your life, and you couldn’t connect to them. (source)

Top Three Fitness Traps:

1. Too vague. 

Goals such as “get fit,” “lose weight,” or “do more steps” sound good, but they’re too broad. Although they are trackable, they’re not specific enough to stick to.

When a goal has no clear target, it’s way too easy to skip, delay, or cheat on it because you don’t even know what it really means.

2. Based on someone else’s life.

Maybe your friend is training for a marathon, or you saw something like a 75-day challenge online and thought, That sounds good, I’ll do that too.

But if it doesn’t match your lifestyle, schedule or energy right now, it won’t last and even 75 days will be a stretch. Goals only work if they’re built around you. 

You can also use this to your advantage, if you base some of your goals on your future life and who you want to be (for the better). For example, you might want to be able to move like you used to or run like an athlete, so that’s how you train

3. No real emotion behind it.

Emotions are powerful, if your goal doesn’t mean something to you deep down, it’ll fall apart the second life gets hectic. 

You need a reason that matters to you, not just a number a fitness app told you to hit.

This might be something like exercising to put you at ease, make you feel joyful or to feel more confident.

How to Find The Right Fitness Goals

As we’ve mentioned, you need a real purpose behind each goal. Without a strong “why,” your motivation will fade fast. 

But don’t worry, we’ve got a simple four-step process with six questions to help you find the right goals that connect to you.

You can answer them as you go or all at once at the end, whichever you find easiest.

Step 1: Make It Personal

Your fitness goals should be deeply connected to your life. 

Don’t just set a goal because you think you “should.” 

Ask yourself:

• What do I really want to be able to do?
• How do I want to feel? 

Example:

Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” dig deeper. 

Maybe you want to feel more confident and energetic, to be more present for your family, or maybe you’re starting to think about your future and the quality of life you want to live.

Step 2: Give It Real Meaning

Now that you know what you want, ask why you want it. 

This is where you find the deeper meaning behind your goal. 

Ask yourself:

• Why do I want to achieve this goal?
• What’s the long-term reason behind it?

Example:

For me, working out and lifting heavier weights is about staying strong and active, for my own mental and physical health, so I can stay capable for the rest of my life.  

Step 3: Make It Specific

Your what and why should now be clearer; it’s time to make it specific and give it structure, so you know exactly how to take action.

A meaningful goal without a clear path can leave you stuck. That’s where the idea of SMART goals can help.

SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

You don’t need to follow it perfectly, but it’s a great framework to turn your big idea into something you can actually train for.

Ask yourself:

• What type of training or activity supports this goal?
• What would success look like week to week or month to month?
• How will I track my progress?

Example:
If your goal is to feel strong and capable, you might choose to strength train at home or in a gym, and set a SMART goal like:
“Strength train 3 times a week, focusing on full-body movements, for the next 8 weeks. Success would be showing up 3 times, no matter what, and tracking the weights and reps on each exercise”

That’s specific, measurable, and time-bound, and it keeps the deeper emotional reason behind it alive.

Step 4: Keep It Flexible

Your goals can bend but not break. 

Once you’ve defined what action looks like and what you need to do, it’s much easier to stay on track or adjust if life gets in the way.

Your goals need to evolve to stay engaged with your fitness journey, as life isn’t static.

 Ask yourself:

• What could I change if I’m short on time or energy?
• What are some challenges that might stop me and what are a few different ways I could work around them?

Example:

If you have a busy week at work coming up, set minimum standards for yourself. 

E.g. I will shorten my workout to 30 min but still go three times a week, then if that still doesn’t work, have a quick workout at home to do.

Put It All Together

If the answers don’t come to you straight away, you might need to take some time and come back to it.  

Make sure to write down your answers on your phone or a piece of paper, so that you can see and read them. Just thinking about them doesn’t count. 

(There are no wrong answers, just be honest with yourself.) 

Questions to find your goal: 

1. What do I really want to be able to do?
2. How do I want to feel?
3. Why do I want to achieve this goal?
4. What’s the long-term reason behind it?
5. What type of training or activity supports this goal?
6. What would success look like week to week or month to month?
7. How will I track my progress?
8. What could I change if I’m short on time or energy?
9. What are some challenges that might stop me, and what are a few different ways I could work around them?

Now, take everything you’ve written down from each step and combine it, then you will have a well-thought-out fitness goal that feels personal and meaningful to you. 

If it is truly what you want, then this is the goal that will stick and be the right goal for you.

Set Ultimate Goals and Sub-Goals

After you have found your personal, meaningful fitness goal, it’s time to break it down into smaller, more manageable steps so you can actually achieve it.  

This is where the magic of ultimate goals and sub-goals comes in, they help you turn your idea into action. (source)

Ultimate Goal:

Your ultimate goal is the big picture, the thing you’re ultimately working towards. 

This is what you would have just found: your big goal and the long-term vision that keeps you motivated. 

It’s your “north star” guiding your efforts.

Example:

For some, it might be more in the pursuit of something like lifelong fitness; you might never be able to reach your ultimate goal, but still must have one. 

Or it might be achievable like running a marathon, which would then need to be reset to something bigger or harder once you achieve it. 

Sub-Goals:

These are the smaller milestones that get you closer to your ultimate goal. 

Sub-goals are the stepping stones, the short-term wins you can achieve in weeks or months.

Breaking your journey down like this makes the process more manageable and keeps you moving forward.

Example:

Each time you hit a sub-goal like increasing the weight on your bench press and hitting a new PR, you achieve a sub-goal and need to mentally reward yourself to reinforce the behaviour. (e.g. Good job me, I’m on track, or let’s go, what a win!) 

If your ultimate goal is long-term success or something much bigger then every run or every workout is a win.

Extra Tip: 

Every time you achieve a sub-goal, your brain releases dopamine, giving you a hit of satisfaction and fueling your motivation, making the long journey toward your ultimate goal feel more rewarding.

Summary:

Once you’ve taken the time to find the right fitness goal, one that aligns with your values, emotions, and long-term vision, you’ve already done the hardest part. That clarity becomes your motivation. 

Use that motivation to get moving by breaking your ultimate goal down into smaller sub-goals, and celebrate every small win along the way. 

You’ve now got everything you need to get started. If you want to learn more about fitness, then consider reading our guide on what is real fitness.

From here, it’s all about building structure and habits around your goals and learning how to set your subgoals by using goal-setting structures, like SMART goals.

This way, you can stay consistent even when motivation fades. 

I hope this helped you see the bigger picture and find the right fitness goal for you.

References:

1. Zhang, Y., Brady, T. F., & Alvarez, G. A. (2022). Completion of intermediate goals yields bursts of dopamine. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 187. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090261622000511#sec0095
2. Better Health Channel. Physical activity – setting yourself goals. Victoria State Government. Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/physical-activity-setting-yourself-goals
3. PioneerGains. What is Lifelong Fitness? The Essentials. Available at: https://pioneergains.com/what-is-lifelong-fitness-the-essentials
4. Cleveland Clinic. Dopamine. Updated December 6, 2022. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581-dopamine

Share: