There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Being a personal trainer can be highly lucrative, but it's not easy. Personal trainers in the fitness industry face many challenges, which we will discuss. Having a regular income, a weird work schedule, and demanding clients are just some of the challenges you might encounter.
However, one way to overcome challenges that personal trainers face is by setting SMART goals. This is a goal-setting method that will help make goal-achieving much easier.
This article looks at 5 personal training SMART goal examples. These goals might not be relevant to you, but the objective is to show you how to set these SMART goals to overcome obstacles you face.
What Are SMART Goals?
Before we can discuss SMART goal examples, we should know what SMART goals are. So, as mentioned above, SMART is a methodology of goal setting. SMART is an acronym, with each letter standing for something specific. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timebound.
Each factor has a vital role in achieving specific goals you may have, which, in this case, will relate to fitness training and being a personal trainer. But, first, let's look at what each of the five letters in this SMART acronym stands for.
If you want to know more about SMART goals, check out this Ultimate Guide to SMART Goals.
Why Are SMART Goals Important For Personal Training and Fitness Trainers?
You may face many challenges in the personal training and fitness training industry. One is having an irregular income and an irregular clientele. Simply put, you may have fewer clients during the off-season, so you must budget your income and finances.
Another challenge is not having a real social life because you always work when other people have time off. People want to engage in personal training when they don't have work or other responsibilities. But, you're always working when your friends have free time.
Moreover, personal trainers often lack enough sleep due to their irregular work schedules. Another challenge is if clients cancel on short notice. Having clients cancel will disrupt your schedule, and it's not good for your income.
If you want to start your own personal training business, there are many challenges you will face, and starting your own business is not easy.
In addition, if you're not organized, keeping accurate records for tax season can be a challenge. Finally, as a personal trainer, you need to remain in good shape to keep your job. These are just some of the challenges faced by personal trainers.
However, there are various methods to help overcome these challenges. One of the best methods is to set SMART goals for yourself. Having specific, measurable, and achievable goals can work toward the bigger picture of being more successful while maintaining a healthy lifestyle for yourself.
Next, we’ll look at how these SMART goals might take shape and how to formulate them to achieve your specific goals.
Examples of SMART Goals for Personal Training and Fitness Trainers
1. Set Aside 25% of Every Paycheck
“My goal is to set aside at least 25% of every paycheck for a rainy day to help deal with irregular income and clientele. My goal is to set aside at least $1,500 every month for 8 months of the year to be financially stable during the off-season.”
S: This goal is particular—setting aside 20% of every paycheck, or at least $1,500 every month, for 8 months.
M: This goal is measurable because, with simple record keeping, you can keep exact track of exactly how much money you make and how much you set aside.
A: This goal is attainable because setting aside money every month should not be too difficult with some good budgeting and wise spending decisions.
R: This goal is relevant because it pertains to not having regular work hours or clientele as a fitness trainer.
T: This goal is timebound—setting aside $1,500 every month, or at least $12,000 at the end of 8 months.
2. Implement a 48-Hour Cancellation Policy
“My goal is to implement a 48-hour cancellation policy for all clients, and I will do so effective today. This will allow me to maintain a regular schedule and income if clients cancel, as it will provide enough time to make adjustments.”
S: This goal is to implement a 48-hour cancellation policy effective immediately.
M: This is one of these few SMART goals that doesn't need to be measurable. It's simply a policy that you execute immediately.
A: This goal is perfectly realistic because you set your own rules in your personal training business.
R: This goal is relevant because it will help you maintain a regular schedule and income.
T: This goal is obviously timebound as you will execute a 48-hour cancellation policy immediately.
3. Create a Website and Email Marketing Campaign
“My goal is to create a website and an effective email marketing campaign to increase my client base. I currently have 20 clients and aim to improve this by at least 5 clients per month for the next 12 months.”
S: This goal is specific—to use proven a website and email marketing campaigns to increase clientele by at least 5 clients per month.
M: This goal is measurable because you can easily keep track of how many clients you have.
A: This goal is attainable because increasing clientele through effective means such as creating a website is a proven strategy.
R: This goal is relevant because you need clients to have a successful personal training business.
T: This goal is timebound—to increase your clientele by a certain number of people within a specific time frame.
4. Sleep at Least 7 Hours Each Night
“My goal is to ensure I get to bed at 10 pm each night and sleep until at least 5 am. My overall goal is to help maintain my mental state and physical health by sleeping at least 7 hours per night, starting immediately.”
S: This goal is specific—to get at least seven hours of sleep each night between certain hours.
M: This goal is measurable by keeping track of how much sleep you get.
A: This goal is attainable because, with some good scheduling and time management, you should easily get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
R: This goal is relevant because you need to have energy and get a good night's sleep to fully execute your duties as a fitness trainer.
T: This goal is timebound because the aim is to execute this sleep policy immediately.
5. Exercise Every Day
“My goal is to spend at least 90 minutes daily exercising to maintain my own health and gain at least 1 pound of muscle per month over the next 12 months while simultaneously reducing my body fat by at least 10% within that same year.”
S: This goal is specific—to exercise for at least 90 minutes a day to gain at least 1 pound of muscle per month while also losing at least 10% body fat.
M: You can measure this goal by keeping track of how much you exercise, how much body fat, and how much muscle you have.
A: This goal is relatively realistic because, as a fitness trainer, you should have a bit of free time every day to exercise; building muscle should not be too difficult if you follow a good weight training routine.
R: This goal is relevant in maintaining your stature as a fitness trainer.
T: This goal is also timebound—to gain a certain amount of muscle and lose a certain amount of fat within 12 months.
Final Thoughts on SMART Goals for Personal Training and Fitness Trainers
Being a fitness trainer has many different challenges. However, overcoming these challenges should become easier by using these SMART goals. SMART goals provide a clearly defined path to success. All that’s left is to identify specific challenges you face and create the SMART goals that will help you overcome these challenges.
And if you want more SMART goal ideas and examples, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 8 SMART Goals Examples for a Physical Education (PE) Class
- 8 SMART Goals Examples for Weight Loss
- 15 SMART Goals for Nutrition (Examples for Your Healthy Eating Plan)
Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.
