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Summary
On episode 564 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan breaks down why so many people set health and fitness goals and still fail to hit them. His answer: most goals are written around outcomes nobody can fully control, like a number on the scale, instead of the actions that actually get you there.
Allan walks through the classic SMART goal formula (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time bound) and argues it is missing a critical piece: action. A goal has to be something you can control day to day, not just a result you hope shows up.
He uses his own story of chasing a heavier deadlift at the expense of his back to show what happens when a goal is specific and measurable but not relevant to your actual vision, and closes with concrete examples of turning outcome goals like “lose 20 pounds” into action goals you can actually execute.
Links
- https://crushtheholidays.com
Key Takeaways
- Most people fail their health goals because they set goals on outcomes, not actions. You can control what you do (your food choices, your workouts, your habits) but you cannot directly control what your body does with that effort. Writing a goal as an outcome, like “lose 20 pounds,” sets you up to feel like a failure even when you did the work.
- SMART goals need a sixth letter: action. Allan proposes SMART-A: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time bound, and action. Without the action component, a goal describes a destination but not the vehicle for getting there.
- Specific means naming the real target, not a vague wish. “Improve my health” or “get fit” is too nebulous to act on. A specific goal names the actual metric, like VO2 max, squat weight, or net carbohydrate grams.
- Measurable means you have a clear way to know you succeeded. Whether it is a personal record, a step count, or a body measurement, you need a number or marker you can check yourself against.
- Attainable means the goal is a stretch, not a fantasy. Allan jokes that at 56 he is not making the NFL, but losing weight or adding strength over a realistic timeframe is well within reach with consistent effort.
- Relevant is the piece most people skip, and it may matter most. A goal has to connect to your bigger vision for your life. Allan describes chasing a heavier deadlift purely for ego, throwing his back out mid-workout, and realizing the goal had nothing to do with the person he actually wanted to be.
- Time bound keeps a goal from drifting forever. Setting a goal for “someday” removes urgency. A defined window, like 30 days or one calendar month, forces you to check in on progress in real time.
- Turning an outcome goal into an action goal changes everything. Instead of “I will lose 20 pounds,” Allan gives examples like capping net carbs at 25 grams a day or limiting alcohol to two glasses of wine on Friday and Saturday nights, goals that are entirely within your control.
- Consistency in the doing is what builds the habit. Once a goal is written as a repeatable action, doing it consistently is what turns that action into a lasting lifestyle change, not a temporary push.
“So the goals are written about the outcome, not the actual actions that have to happen.”
Coach Allan Misner
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