The good weather begins, the days get longer, you feel like going out more and, almost without realizing it, you make a decision: “I’m going to start exercising.” You set a goal. Maybe walking 10,000 steps a day, going to the gym three times a week, or going for a run. The first days everything goes well, you even feel proud, but weeks pass and something changes: one day you miss it, then another, and before you know it, you give up. If you identify with this story, you are not the only person. It is an extraordinarily common story that inevitably leads us to an uncomfortable question: What went wrong?
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For years we have been told that the key to staying active is to set concrete, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals. This is known as SMART goals, by their English acronym: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Scientific evidence confirms that setting goals does work; in fact, it is one of the most effective strategies to increase physical activity, but it also begins to point out something important: it is not so much about setting goals, but how we set them. A recent international consensus of experts in exercise and health proposes a paradigm shift that is as simple as it is profound.
Not everyone starts from the same point or has the same needs. It is not the same for someone who has been training for years as for someone trying to move after months (or even years) of inactivity; nor is it the same for someone seeking performance as for someone seeking health, nor for someone who is highly motivated as for someone still trying to find reasons to start exercising. From this perspective, the new approach proposes returning to the essentials: understanding what the real goal is, how it influences our behavior, and above all, how to adapt it to each person and their context. Because maybe the problem is not that you don’t have goals, but that the goals you have been taught to set are not designed for you.
The SMART model, an apparently easy formula to remember and apply, is not directly based on a solid theory of behavior nor aligned with the most recent evidence on how we change our habits. It has become popular more for its practicality than for its rigor.
One of the most widespread ideas is that goals must always be specific. However, studies show that they do not need to be for them to work. Telling yourself “I have to do 10,000 steps a day” is not necessarily more effective than simply proposing to move more; in fact, for some people (especially the less active) it can even be counterproductive. Overly concrete goals tend to become all or nothing: either you meet them or you fail, and that “failure” can generate frustration. And this happens even if you have exercised more than before, which can reduce motivation and favor abandonment.
Added to this is another relevant problem: assuming that we all need the same type of goal. The traditional model does not distinguish between a person who already trains regularly and another who is taking their first steps, but the evidence does. We know that those who are starting respond better to more open, flexible, or learning-focused goals, while more demanding and specific goals can be useful for experienced people. Applying the same formula to everyone is not only ineffective but, in many cases, unfair.
Moreover, there is an aspect that is rarely taken into account: goals not only influence what you do but also how you feel while doing it. Some types of goals increase pressure or the feeling of obligation, while others favor autonomy, enjoyment, and long-term adherence. And this is key because exercising for a week does not change your health; maintaining it over time does. Added to all this is an element that the traditional model usually ignores: real life. We do not always have the same time, the same energy, or the same circumstances, but we keep setting rigid goals as if every day were the same as the previous one, and when we cannot meet them, we do not revise the goal but blame ourselves. Maybe there lies one of the biggest mistakes: it is not about fitting our life into the goal, but adapting the goal to our life and circumstances.
If the problem is not setting goals but how we set them, the question is inevitable: How should we do it then? The expert consensus proposes a change of approach that, in reality, is returning to the essentials: adapting goals to the person, the moment, and the context. There is no single formula, but there are principles and ideas that can make a difference.
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The first is that not all goals have to be concrete. Until recently, we believed that the more specific, the better, but that is not always the case. For many people (especially when they are starting) more open goals, like “see how far I can go today” or “try to move more,” can be just as or even more effective, as they eliminate the feeling of failure and allow building a more positive relationship with exercise. The second principle is to choose the type of goal well: it is not the same to propose a result, like losing weight, as to focus on the process, like going for a walk several days a week, or on learning, like discovering what type of activity you like. We know that the latter favor adherence more, especially in the initial phases.
Difficulty also matters, but not as we usually think. Goals should represent a manageable challenge: if they are too demanding, they generate pressure, anxiety, and ultimately abandonment; if they are too easy, they do not motivate. The balance is at that point where the goal pushes you without overwhelming you. Likewise, it is essential to consider the moment each person is in. If you have been inactive for a while, your goal should not be performance but learning: learning to organize yourself, to find gaps in your schedule, and to discover what activity fits you. On the other hand, if you already have the habit consolidated, it makes sense to set more concrete or challenging goals. The same goal does not work for all people or all phases.
Flexibility is another key element. Life changes every day, so goals that allow some margin, such as working with ranges, alternatives, or even open goals, work better. This flexibility is not a lack of discipline but a strategy to sustain the habit over time. Added to this is an essential element: signs of progress. Knowing if you are progressing, even a little, is key to maintaining motivation, but those signs should not be punitive but aimed at understanding what has happened and how to adjust the path.
Ultimately, everything converges on a simple idea: the best goal is not the most ambitious or ideal, but the one you can maintain over time. Because success in exercise is not measured in perfect training days but in weeks, months, and years of consistency.
Maybe it is time to stop obsessing over the perfect goal. For years we have sought the ideal formula, the exact number of steps, the specific training days, the millimetric plan, but what science tells us is something much more human: goals do not work because they are perfect, but because they are sustainable over time.
Moving more should not be a test to overcome but a process to learn. That is why, the next time you set a goal, try something different. Don’t just ask yourself how much, how many times, or with what intensity, but also if that goal fits your life, if it motivates or pressures you, and if it will help you come back tomorrow. Because, deep down, the best goal is not the one you meet today but the one that allows you to come back tomorrow.
ENFÓRMATE is the space of EL PAÍS SALUD where we will talk about those aspects related to physical activity, sport, and physical and mental health. Physical activity and sport are part of the culture of all civilizations and play a fundamental role in the health of society at all levels, both physical and mental, at all ages, from childhood to old age, in both men and women. From the Sciences of Physical Activity and Sport, efforts have been made to advance scientific knowledge about the importance of movement and physical exercise on the body, as well as the processes that explain why certain adaptations, modifications, or changes occur at different levels (physiological, anatomical, motor, emotional, or cognitive). For all these reasons, this space seeks to find scientific explanations that support and justify the very beneficial reasons for physical activity and sport. Likewise, it will try to discuss and refute certain myths or false beliefs existing in society about specific topics of physical exercise and health.
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